Favorite Albums of 2015

It's that time of year, I suppose. In no particular order, here are 28 2015 releases that I love.

Aaron Diehl, "Space, Time, Continuum," This record, and his work with Cecile McLorin Salvant, make it clear that this guy is A Major Talent.

Alabama Shakes, "Sound & Color." Promise fulfilled.

Andrew Combs, "All These Dreams." Boy sure can write him some sad country songs.

Ashley Monroe, "The Blade." Every so often, the Nashville Product Machine inadvertently spits out Art.

Mahan Esfahani, "Time Present and Time Past." Everything from Bach to Reich, brilliantly played.

Calexico, "Edge of the Sun." Easily their best record ever.

Cassandra Wilson, "Coming Forth by Day." One of two brilliant Billie Holiday remembrances in her centenary year.

Della Mae, "Della Mae." Marv will probably call this "chickgrass." I call it a great record.

Emmylou Harris and Rodney Crowell, "The Traveling Kind." They still have it.

Fink, "Fink Meets the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra." Wow.

Florence + the Machine, "How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful. Who says arena rock is dead?

Alexander Melnikov and others, "Hindemith: Sonatas for ..." Brilliant performances of criminally under appreciated work by a criminally under appreciated composer.

The Honeycutters, "Me Oh My." The pride of Asheville, NC busts out.

Jakob Bro, "Gefion." His best work to date.

Jason Isbell, "Something More than Free." A worthy follow-up to "Southeastern."

John Scofield, "Past Present." Sco and Joe (Lovano) re-unite, and the results are every bit as good as their classic 1990s Blue Note sessions.

Julian Lage, "World's Fair." Solo acoustic. If you're old enough to remember John Fahey's classic "Of Rivers and Religion," this is the sequel.

Kristian Zimmerman, Berlin Philharmonic, Sir Simon Rattle cold., "Lutoslawski: Piano Concerto and Symphony No.2." Difficult music made easy.

Maria Schneider Orchestra, "The Thompson Fields." State of the art writing and arranging for big band.

Mary Halvorson, "Meltframe." The solo album we've been waiting for. Deeply satisfying.

Marc-Andre Hamelin, Pacifica Quartet, "Ornstein: String Quartet and Piano Quintet." Performances for the ages.

Africa Express, "In C Mali." Terry Riley says this is his favorite performance of his greatest work. It's easy to understand why.

Sweater-Kinney, "No Cities to Love." They're back with a record that was worth the wait.

Stanley Clarke, Bireli Langrene, and Jean-Luc Ponty, "D-Stringz." Hard to categorize, easy to enjoy.

Sullivan Fortner, "Aria." The best jazz debut album I heard this year.

Vijay Iyer Trio, "Break Stuff." He just keeps getting better.

Watkins Family Hour, "Watkins Family Hour." Way too much fun.

Alina Ibragimova, "Ysaye: Sonatas for Solo Violin." She gets this music like no one else I've heard.

Feel free to comment, flame, contribute your own lists.

 

Fantastic selections - loved the Alabama Shakes. Looks like I have new music to research. Thanks!

 

heres mine. I had already done it for another forum.

Ghost- Elas ep
Dirk serries- disorientation flow / obscured by beams of sorrow
Min-y-llan- Touched by lights
Min-y-llan- Second choice keeper
Woob- intervision 1015
Woob- Mass distraction
Voices from the lake- live at maxxi
Troum- De Aeris In Sublunaria Influxu
The Orb- Moonbuilding 2703 AD
Donato Dozzy & Anna Caragnano - Sintetizzatrice
Ochre- Isolette
Markus guentner- theia
Maps & Diagrams- Celsius/ Ariel/ turmeric/ voodoo tales
Alva noto- xerrox vol.3
Aphex Twin- Soundcloud
Lackluster- merck package/ Swansong EP
Bvdub- A step in the dark / Safety in a number
Arovane- eleeve/ lyid skor
Arovane & Hior Chronik - In-Between
Arovane & Porya Hatami - Resonance
Aphex Twin - MARCHROMT30a Edit 2b 96

honorable mention

Christina Vantzou - No. 3
Deepchord- ultraviolet music
Sine weaver- soundcloud
Clatterbox- sentinel revisited
Jam city- dream a garden
Kendrick- TPAB
Slow Meadow- ST
Nil frahms- Solo
Floating Points- elaenia
Big krit- its better this way
Grimes- art angels
Digitonal- beautiful broken
Steve Hauschildt- where all is fled
helios- yume
Donatto dozzy- the loud silence
casino versus japan- damaged errata
OPN- GOD
Bensarin Quartett - III
Yung Bae- everything hes done in 2015
Mick Chillage - Infinite Perspectives

 

2015 releases I’ve listened to so far:

94 Alabama Shakes Sound & Color

Andy Kim, Kevin Drew It’s Decided

93.5+ Beach House Depression Cherry

93+ Carolyn Wonderland Live Texas Trio

Collective Soul See What You Started By Continuing

Creeping Pink Mirror Woods

93 Duane Pitre Bayou Electric

EL VY Return to the Moon

93+ Florence + the Machine How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

93 Gary Clark Jr. The Story of Sonny Boy Slim

Gov’t Mule (w/ John Scofield) Sco-Mule (9/22-23/1999 Atlanta concerts)

Jai Malano/Nico Duportal & His Rhythm Dudes Rocket Girl

James Brown Live at the Apollo Vol. II (1968 Japanese remaster)

93.5+ Lower Dens Escape from Evil

Modest Mouse Strangers to Ourselves

Muse Drones

93.5 Of Monsters And Men Beneath The Skin

Rae Morris Unguarded

Sufjan Stevens Carrie & Lowell

Tame Impala Currents

94 Torres Sprinter

Various Artists KFOG 104.5/97.7 Live from the Archives 22

Wilco Star Wars

Willy Nelson & Merle Haggard x Django and Jimmie

Yo La Tengo Stuff Like That There


2016:

92.5+ Bitchin Bajas & Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy Epic Jammers and Fortunate Little Ditties

93.5+ Dana Falconberry & Medicine Bow From the Forest came the Fire

93.5 Lucinda Williams The Ghosts of Highway 20

M. Ward More Rain

94+ Mike Flanigin The Drifter

Radical Face The Family Tree Presents: The Leaves

93.5+ Tedeschi Trucks Band Let Me Get By