The Top 50 Songs of 2015

2015 was a pretty amazing year for music. Sure, Tool never did release that album they've promised since 2008, but there was still plenty to get excited about...and it's all here! Presenting the 50 best songs of the year:

50. Grimes
"Venus Fly"

Grimes Art Angels proved that she can change her sound and still sound completely brilliant. The contribution provided by Janelle Monae on this song in particular proves that the Metropolis-aficionado is still the queen of cool. The two combining on a grrl power club anthem is insane. Even the most hard-assed misogynist will be jumping up and down to this.
Listen

49. Tame Impala
"The Moment"

For Tame Impala, Currents was a complete change in direction: massive synths, modulated vocals, blues replaced with soul. "The Moment" is probably the best example of that new sound, a bass-driven progression filled with crashing keyboard chords and nary a guitar in earshot. Add to that the closing lines backing over and over until they become completely disorienting. Tame Impala is magic.
Listen

48. Shamir
"Youth"

Shamir burst onto the scene this year with an amazing knack for pop variety, all-too-interesting percussive sounds, and a countertenor voice to amaze. "Youth" is the best example from his first proper album of a "political" song, or at the very least, a socially redeeming one. It is expertly delivered and makes a sobering point still enjoyable. Sometimes, children, learning is fun.
Listen

47. Protomartyr
"Ellen"

For the Detroit-based gloomy post-punk outfit's third record, Joe Casey pulled even more from past experience than usual. The pinacle of these personal experiences is the shogaze-esque epic "Ellen," where Casey croons mournfully from the point-of-view of his late father, watching his mother descend into the final stages of Alzheimer's from the afterlife. It's so sad you could weep, but the arrangement backing him is so beautiful your tears are those of sheer amazement.
Listen

46. Moon Duo
"Night Beat"

Moon Duo's Shadow of the Sun is a technical achievement, able to recreate the best parts of the Doors' weird, drone-y organ solos and combine them with a locomotive trudge so methodical it becomes a blues-Krautrock. "Night Beat" is only the best example of their sound, a song that conjures both doom and dance hall so effortlessly it could pass for True Detective credit music.
Listen

45. The Weeknd
"Can't Feel My Face"

The song of the summer, Weeknd's "love is a drug" ode is so synonymous with party music there's not really much left to say. The beat is beautifully subtle, and the lyrics have just the combination of naughty and naivety it brings back memories of the best Twin Shadow, and it's so fun you'll wish it was twice as long.
Listen (not that you should need to)

44. Eagles of Death Metal
"Save a Prayer"

Enough has been discussed about the events surrounding Eagles of Death Metal in Paris, and it's such a sad subject that it will not be mentioned further here. This is about music, and like EoDM, about the fun you have listening to/playing it. There is nothing that embodies the idea of music as sheer joy than Josh Homme and Jesse Hughes' surprising cover of an otherwise forgotten Duran Duran song. While 80's Brit-synth-pop isn't usually in the EoDM wheelhouse, their rearrangement here is beautiful and jaw-droppingly smart. It leaves the brilliance of the original intact, but ups the execution by magnitudes. A falsetto wailing Homme instead of the keyboard pattern, a throbbing distorted bass beat instead of a pounding synthetic one, "Save a Prayer" is one of the best covers ever made, and one of the very best surprises of the year.
Listen

43. Paul Weller
"White Sky"

If you've never heard of Paul Weller, that's okay. He's been around for ages, but usually in bands rather than fronting them. "White Sky," the explosive opener to the frustratingly un-punctuated but otherwise brilliant Saturns Pattern, proves that classic rock is just that, "classic" not "old." Weller is obviously an insane perfectionist: the guitars are plucked cleaner than Boston, the layered call-and-response vocals are brilliantly distorted, the imagery of the lyrics is the best that 70's psych-rock had to offer. If you're looking for some plain rock that's just plain good...seriously, "White Sky."
Listen

42. Ryan Adams
"Bad Blood"

Taylor Swift is...divisive, to say the least, in the music community. But it's covers like Ryan Adams' version of "Bad Blood" that showcase how strong the songwriting is underneath the often-deplorable pop facade. Granted, Adams' covers of every song off 1989 are all great--better than the originals by wide margins--but "Bad Blood" truly showcases what tone and arrangement can do to the meaning of a what was just another throwaway summer pop tune.
Listen

41. Deerhunter
"Ad Astra"

Normally, when Deerhunter decides to take things slow, it means we're in for 15 minutes of ambient guitar drone and nature sounds. Fortunately, as the adage goes, with age come wisdom, and this sludgy synth-fest is top 10 in Deerhunter's catalog. It also feature guitaris Lockett Pundt on vocals, which gives what would otherwise be a morose affair, a refreshing uplift.
Listen

40. The Chemical Brothers
"I'll See You There"

The Brothers may be the longest lasting drum-and-bass dance, but this is the exact example why. Sure, there's that weird eastern-influenced pitch-shifted string thing going on--basically their signature at this point--but the beat is straight up stadium rock, and the sample...I haven't gone this gaga over the usage of a vocal sample since Kanye's "Runaway." "The future? I'll see you there," is an obvious choice, and a bit on-the-nose, but how it's mixed perfectly, timed fantastically, and delivered with such urgency a feeling wells up inside that yes indeed, the future is bright.
Listen

39. Louis the Child
"It's Strange"

For the most part, the copycats following Purity Ring around have failed miserably. As has Purity Ring for that matter. But some people know how to take a decent foundation and build on it. Louis the Child uses slow, distorted dub-step beats and brings them in as a flowing, bubbling liquid, like a song made from a Coca-Cola waterfall. K. Flay's vocal contribution is above and beyond as well. The almost Macy Gray-esque roughness counterpoints lyrics that would come across as overly sappy if delivered by anyone else.
Listen

38. HEALTH
"New Coke"

HEALTH's long-awaited return began with "New Coke," and it's the perfect bridge point from old sound to new. Loud, crashing electronics, pounding drums, woozy-yet-creepy lyrics with no real meaning, "New Coke," accompanied by and equally weird (and pretty disgusting) music video, prove that HEALTH still know how to take their style to the very edge, even when the song structure is more pop than ever.
Listen

37. Shamir
"Make a Scene"

The undisputed pop star of 2015, Shamir will have many entries on this list, but "Make a Scene" is the most fun you'll have being told to relax since Frankie Goes to Hollywood. If there is a better hedonistic message to represent 2015, I haven't heard it. Shamir commands and laments equally "Don't complain / Just do something / We've given up on all our dreams / So why not go out and make a scene?" Why not, indeed?
Listen

36. A Place to Bury Strangers
"We've Come So Far"

If amongst the soundscape experiments of Transfixiation you were looking for some semblance of the old APTBS, "We've Come So Far" is your jam. Driving, almost machine-like drums, a guitar squall so loud it seems to bring the wall of sound crashing down, and the disturbingly brilliant addition of female backing vocals make this entry to the Brooklyn shoegaze outfit's louder-than-God catalogue one of the best.
Listen

35. Sleater-Kinney
"Bury Our Friends"

This song from the long-missing punk/post-punk/grrl power trio, is more...beachy than most things of theirs you'll find. But if anyone can take something the rest of the world has dismissed as "tired" and "so 2003," and turn it into musical gold, it's Carrie Brownstein and Company. Sleater-Kinney hit every note required and them some, and that little beach-guitar twist? It makes the whole thing.
Listen

34. Tame Impala
"Disciples"

Nothing, and I mean nothing, opens with the sheer joy and bounce of Tame Impala's "Disciples," which is odd considering, like most songs on Currents, it's a lamentation about a relationship that is one-sided and unrewarding. Of course, it wouldn't be Tame Impala if the lyrics didn't take a creepy, stalker-ish turn, but the half-dis track/half-tale of woe is the most fun you'll have looking up your ex's new SO on Facebook. Also, it's not nearly long enough, making Tame Impala--much like the song's central character--such a tease.
Listen

33. Beach House
"Sparks"

When "Sparks" originally debuted, highlighting the sound of the incomparable Beach House's new album, Depression Cherry, it was shocking (sorry). The guitar loop was overly loud and fuzzed-out, and many didn't know what to make of a sound that didn't...quite fit. But once Depression Cherry dropped, it became all too clear that we should have never doubted them. "Sparks" is part of a long story told by the Baltimore dream-pop duo's fifth album, and much like reading only the second chapter of a novel, is incomplete without it's surroundings.
Listen

32. Protomartyr
"Why Does It Shake?"

Sorry to use the same image again, but man, Protomartyr do not like making more album art than absolutely necessary. It's alright though, more time and effort to put into creating some of the most brilliant post-punk since Ian Curtis left this mortal plane. "Why Does It Shake?" marks the first suite-like song the band have undertaken, with two distinct, yet equally enjoyable parts: the first, a very Protomartyr-esque romp around the inner-workings of Joe Casey's mind (not a place I recommend going if you're looking for inspirational affirmation); the second, a trudging call-and-response section where Casey inhabits his alzheimeritic mother to ask questions no one can answer (I told you, don't go in there). The inclusion of the noisiest guitar pedal set-up Greg Ahee has ever used is as amazing a bonus as Clark Griswold's.
Listen

31. Viet Cong
"Continental Shelf"

Viet Cong's debut LP is full of challenging melodies, obfuscated lyrics, and complex structure. Perhaps it is because of the sweet relief that the relatively simple "Continental Shelf" is the best from it. Opening with an airy chord progression before descending into a shoegaze wall of fuzz guitars and oddly alluring vocals so filled with emotion and non-nonsensical musing, this musical version of a Dali painting is as tantalizing as it is catchy. The production, as with the entire album, provides an atmosphere of warmth while discussing such a chilling scene--The Road in a single song.
Listen

30. Lower Dens
"Non Grata"

While Baltimore may be the center of some...less than pleasant events these days, the music scene is still in full upswing. Abandoning their former non-conforming experimental sound, Lower Dens have been able to master what every indie band strives for: pop formula with enough of a twist to make the mainstream tune in and hipsters still swoon. "Non Grata" is close enough to a bass-driven two-step that it could easily be used in any dance hall, and...that would actually be pretty awesome.
Listen

29. Yowler
"7 Towers"

With guitars that could fit into any Santaolalla score (Babel, The Last of Us), Yowler tell a haunting and powerful story that, if it weren't so obviously pointed at a personal acquaintance, would fit in with the Tolkien musings of Led Zeppelin. The use of "power" and "offerings" paint a dark, gorgeous picture with a few simple chords and a breathy voice that easily transports you to the scene itself. While the rest of The Offer is filled to the brim with references to the sheer force and majesty of open water, "7 Towers" is the best example of what makes Yowler's simplistic style so moving, so mesmerizing, and so beautiful.
Listen

28. Jamie xx
"Obvs"

While the fourth song off Jamie xx' debut solo album maybe not have the flash of single and opener "Gosh," or the slick R&B style of "I Know There's Gonna Be (Good Times)," it has an amazing charm that cannot be equaled by anything else on In Colour. The steel drum loop running throughout "Obvs" is not only highly interesting, but an amazing counterpoint of light within what is otherwise a very Burial-esque dubstep effort. While the entire album does show Jamie xx is as qualified as any other xx member to host his own show, "Obvs" is so above and beyond anything anyone else in the genre is doing with instrumental samples, it's the (*cough*) obvious choice.
Listen

27. Vince Staples
"Norf Norf"

Staples might be the next Kendrick Lamar, and that's coming during a year where Kendrick was at his best ever, and also is only two proper albums into his career. The comparison exists because of Staples' amazingly creative and addictive rhymes. Much like Kendrick, he is able to paint scenes of impoverished west coast horror with the same repetition-induced ennui that is it's own message. "Everything's still bad, nothing ever changes, might as well make the best of it," in a much better delivered sense. Staples doesn't glorify gangs and drug dealing, he just presents them as they are: the only industries open to people lost within the system when "traditional" paths have long been closed. The slow pitch-shifted fire alarm loop backed by a simple clap track is all that's necessary to support one of the best opening lines in rap.
Listen

26. The Chemical Brothers
"EML Ritual"

The Brothers are known for big, bombastic dance beats. You know, the block rocking kind (*cough again*). But the first half of "EML Ritual" is where they're actually at their best: a dark brooding synth loop, a subtle live drum beat, and, as always, a brilliantly produced and well-timed vocal sample. When they begin layering various takes of it one on top of the other, the song's climax becomes a dizzying labyrinth of voices highlighted by just the right mix of drum and sound effects. Of course, the song eventually explodes in typical Chemical Brothers fashion, but it never becomes a caricature of itself like past singles, "Galvanize" and "Hey Boy Hey Girl." I like these subdued Chemical Brothers; the look wears well.
Listen

25. Future Islands
"Haunted By You"

Despite not having an actual album out, Future Islands still manages to impress. "The Chase" is a fairly blase single that looked set to disappoint, but it is backed by what is arguably the prettiest pop song of the year. Certainly, it's no match for last year's breakout "Seasons (Waiting On You)" in terms of sheer musical accomplishment, but it does compete for heartwarming sentimentality and heart-sinking lyrics, delivered as fascinatingly as ever by Samuel T. Herring.
Listen

24. Oneohtrix Point Never
"Sticky Drama"

OPN (I refuse to type that name more than once per list) has always been on the scene as the artist's choice for best electronic act. His songs were experimental and had a dark streak, not conforming to your usual four-on-the-floor conventions. He's never written anything you could dance to, but he his highly regarded brilliant, and rightly so. OPN is the Trent Reznor of dance, which is appropriate considering he's remixed Nine Inch Nails in the past. "Sticky Drama" is the closest anything from Garden of Delete comes to a proper "song" as most people are familiar with the term, but unlike much of what he's previously released, it's loud and brash, almost to the point of nausea. Did I say OPN was like Trent Reznor? This is more like Dominick Fernow.
Listen

23. Neon Indian
"Slumlord"

Alan Palomo's influences became very, very clear with the release of his third album as Neon Indian, VEGA Intl. Night School. But while late-era disco 1999-era Prince were patently obvious on most of the record, "Slumlord" most definitely had the hands of the late, great Frankie Knuckles, de facto inventor of Chicago house, all over it. And what makes it stand out so much amongst a bevy of other great and unique tunes is just how much "Slumlord" is like Neon Indian's previous work: washed out synth patterns with the treble dropped out; distant, echoing backing vocals; an ultra-repetitive, ultra-earworming chorus. VINS might be a great album that's a mess, but "Slumlord" knows what it is and relishes every second of it.
Listen

22. Metz
"Acetate"

Metz may be gunning for Ministry's old title belt for "loudest band on Earth," even though that kind of volume is usually only achieved by other industrialists, shoegazers, or weird noise bands. And though Metz does have their share of mainstream-repelling works (see: "The Mule" and "Sad Pricks," among others), "Acetate" is surprisingly conventional. Now, don't misunderstand that, it's still loud as hell--maybe the loudest they've ever been--and dark too. "Acetate" would be catchier if you weren't dreading every moment of it, with lyrics like "take away these thoughts" being screamed over an incessant, punishing wall of guitars.
Listen

21. Drake
"Hotline Bling"

While Drake's ode to...what's the male version of a booty call?...is the only song to maybe, almost rival Adele's "Hello" for number of streams/downloads, it's also the target of the most hate. Shade-throwers worldwide clearly don't understand the nuance of a lo-fi 70's keyboard loop, or the brilliant inclusion of what must be a pre-programmed Casio beat ("rumba" setting maybe?). Simpletons dismiss "Hotline Bling" as typical of a genre they claim doesn't require talent to break into, with one viral video showcasing a (clearly hypocritical) country singer reading the lyrics, trying to dismiss an entire cultural zeitgeist as a nuisance, like the people that made fun of cell-phones as "impractical." Is it a repetitive? Yes Will it ever get old? Probably. Will I ever stop listening to it? Never.
Listen

20. Lightning Bolt
"Horsepower"

Lightning Bolt have made a career out getting maximum volume from just two people. With Fantasy Empire they only improve on that formula, able to surround with a relentless, punishing drive that disorients and numbs. "Horsepower" is just the most accessible song off their ump-teenth album, proving their noise-rock chops long after they already established them. And all while that beat just keeps poinding into your head, Brian Chippendale's muffled, indecipherable vocals bleed through like Big Brother's over a dystopian loudspeaker.
Listen

19. HEALTH
"Dark Enough"

During the six-year hiatus from making proper albums, HEALTH weren't just sitting on their thumbs. In 2012 they were tasked with creating the score for the fantastic Max Payne 3 game. Rockstar is already known for having amazing music in their games (see: the GTA series, Red Dead Redemption, etc.), but creating a score for a film or TV show is very different from a video game. In doing so, HEALTH created a masterpiece, but it changed them and their sound; their music was always a little dark, but now it's much more personal, hurtful even. Their newly discovered love of pop and mainstream sound hasn't changed their moribund tendencies, and "Dark Enough" is their Dickinson-eqsue ode to apathy. "Breathe? Why not?" Jake Duzsic asks lithely to start the second verse, in the ultimate show of ennui about this plane of existence. "It doesn't make a difference how I feel." ...umm...merry Christmas everyone?
Listen

18. Eagles of Death Metal
"Complexity"

Alright, let's liven this thing up. From the random eclecticism of this single's art, to the staccato guitar hook, there's nothing about EoDM's first single in seven years that isn't the most fun you've ever had being told to calm the F down. If the beach party drum intro is any indication, the creation of Zipper Down was a blast--just one carouse after another. The silly-yet-philosophical lyrics, the fantastic bass line, the Valley-girl cheerleader backing vocals, it all adds up to best work the band has ever done. Eagles of Death Metal write music for everyone, and "Complexity" is a song we can all enjoy.
Listen

17. Young Fathers
"Shame"

While Scotland generally is known for it's hip-hop scene around the world, the TV on the Radio influenced sounds of Young Fathers stand out as some of the most creative in the industry. "Shame" is just the most prominent standout on an album full of insanely thoughtful and subtly complex rap. Their production, a false lo-fi, is sure to be the next "trip-hop" once the likes of Kanye or Dre get their ears on it, if they haven't started using it already. Young Fathers use a combination of low-mixed beats, a doo-wop backing loop, and clever lyrics to stun you into attention. They're not new per se, but they'll be big soon enough.
Listen

16. The Weeknd
"The Hills"

So, you still haven't heard "The Hills"? What is wrong with you? Okay, it's not #1 on this list, but it is, by a wide margin, #1 of The Weeknd's short-but-already-illustrious career. The production value is insane, and that sample...the horror movie scream...only Chemical Bros. have a better mastery of their material. Thee Weeknd uses a stunning and glorious combination of falsetto singing and macho-out-of-spite rhymes, the puffed-up chest though tears. The sheer mastery of this very "Sleeping With the Enemy" subject is exactly what we've come to expect of the fastest rising star in the genre.
Listen

15. Deafheaven
"Brought to the Water"

No matter what your stance on what kind of metal Deafheaven is (not that it matters because why, WHY does it matter? Does the genre label slapped on by the record company really define your enjoyment of music? How sad are you? I know you "black metal" types hate the Kardashians, but the way you determine the quality of something is inherently similar, so just switch camps already), "Brought to the Water" is the most metal they've ever been. At least, for the first half. You should already know that anything Deafheven ever write devolves from bombast to gorgeous symphony after three or four minutes. And that amazing juxtaposition of Explosions in the Sky soundscapes and George Clarke's pained screams is like nothing we've had the privilege to experience before or since.
Listen

14. Grimes
"Kill V. Maim"

It might just be me, but I love, love, David Bowie's Outside. It's an underrated masterpiece by one of rock and roll's greatest artists. But, thanks to "Kill V. Maim," and really most of Grimes amazing Art Angels, I know that she too adores Bowie's sci-fi concept album. Sure, the beats are much more dance-able, and Bowie was more interested in riding the industrial bandwagon, but the influences are blatantly obvious. And fortunately, Grimes is so brilliant that said influences don't seem hackneyed or just lazily copied, but are handled with tender care to produce a jarringly horrific electronic work. Grimes is roving, easily, that she belongs in the top tier of today's pop stars, if only to scare the ever-loving shit out of them.
Listen

13. Thee Oh Sees
"Web"

Since Thee Oh Sees have about a billion albums, it's hard to really judge how much one stands out from the others. That said, Mutilator Defeated At Last is a masterpiece of the highest order and "Web" is just the best example of why. Psychedelic rock, garage rock, and old-school heavy metal are all mixed into one six-minute opus. "Web" also showcases the strange and unmistakable sound of a song that is most definitely Thee Oh Sees, and couldn't possibly be anyone else. John Dwyer is pulling out all his dirty tricks and showcasing his musical genius at every turn, from time signature changes, to creepy, falsetto vocals, to louder-than-loud guitars. Just, please, listen to it now.
Listen

12. Beach House
"PPP"

In the standout highlight of the Beach House hat trick that is Depression Cherry, Victoria LeGrand speak-sings vocals through a smoky voice in that dimly-lit True Detective bar. But instead of depressing acoustic guitar, she is accompanied by brightly plucked strings and over-full synth chords that pull her emotions out of you, like the most empathetic succubus. "PPP" demonstrates the sheer beauty of Beach House's composition and production. If the lyrics weren't so personal and off-puttingly dark, you could almost use them to score a wedding. They are the credit music to a movie where long-lost lovers meet in the rain. Each note is delivered with the pain of a thousand-mile separation, and the sweet release of a cathartic reunion.
Listen

11. Drenge
"We Can Do What We Want"

Not that the Grammy's would ever notice, but Drenge is the runaway for Best New Artist. Their hardcore garage rock takes the sounds of Franz Ferdinand and the Killers and adds a much needed punk edge. "We Can Do What We Want" is the new anthem for angsty teens, but it's a song as old as time. Not out of place in a 60's dance hall or the soundtrack of SLC Punk, the relatable chorus and grungy guitar work is made that much better by impossible drumming of Rory Loveless. This is as close as music gets to saying "you're not my real dad."
Listen

10. Hot Chip
"Huarache Lights"

Hot Chip is a band that has been, and always will be, capable of the most awesome summer beats in the dance industry. Part Bee Gees, part LCD Soundsystem, with a little En Vogue mixed in for good measure, "Huarache Lights" is the hands-in-the-air-like-you-just-don't-care song of 2015. It's robotic breakdown and sparse bridge make the finale pay-off that much sweeter. If you're looking for hooks to last the ages, you can never go wrong with a little Hot Chip.
Listen

9. Protomartyr
"The Hermit"

I'm sure you're not tired of seeing that guy over there. While The Agent Intellect is Protomartyr's most artistic effort to date, "The Hermit" is the most Protomartyr they have ever been. A hot mess of guitars, weird samples of readings from 17th century medical texts, and Joe Casey doing his best Eddie Vedder impersonation, and then it's all over, slowly blending into the next song, the gorgeous "Clandestine Time." "The Hermit" is as close to their roots as Protomartyr can get. This is the Joy Division from the Warsaw EP, Pere Ubu's Modern Dance, all condensed into two-and-a-half minutes.
Listen

8. St. Vincent
"Teenage Talk"

In a year when St. Vincent has no plans to release an album, this Record Store Day single is so immensely beautiful, the stark contrast it makes with her most recent, self-titled album is overpowering. I will admit, it's nostalgic lyrical content does come at exactly the right time for my 10 year reunion, only compounding its effect on me, but it's guaranteed to do the same to you. It's simple, poignant lesson: the past is great, but living there isn't worth giving up the future; is so fantastically delivered with simplistic synth patterns and soft vocals that it will make you break down. "Teenage Talk" does nothing but prove that Annie Clark is a musical genius of the highest caliber.
Listen

7. Tame Impala
"The Less I Know the Better"

Tame Impala is master songcraft, and nothing showcases Keving Parker's ability than the Rick James bass line featured so prominently in "The Less I Know the Better." This is also Parker showing off his most poignant poetry: disguised under the happy-go-lucky facade of glistening synths and bright guitars is a sad guy with a huge crush that will never be requited. The entirety of Currents is one story after another of Parker's inability to seal the deal, or worse, his inability to cope with that first inability, but "The Less I Know the Better," is an unlucky guy at his most pitiful and sympathetic.
Listen

6. Deerhunter
"Snakeskin"

"Snakeskin" starts off the finale trio of Deerhunter's Fading Frontier, the finest three songs the band has ever produced, and it brings all the classic amazement that we've come to expect of Deerhunter: spacey Bradford Cox lyrics delivered in speech-singing, intensely layered guitars, mind-blowing bass, and percussion parts so intricate and obscure music theorists wet themselves (I know I did). The production here--highlighting each individual guitar string as it's hit, and building layer on layer during the song's eerie outro--is so masterful you can recollect the glorious days of Microcastle and Halcyon Digest.
Listen

5. Shamir
"On the Regular"

It's always so nice to have an album so delightfully absurd and fun on the list. "On the Regular" is Shamir's calling out of all those "gangstas" that made fun of him for his counter-tenor voice and personality, and it is amazing. If you don't find yourself giggling at lines like "step to me and you will be handled," as delivered in a jaw-dropping bridge, there's something quite seriously wrong with you. Highlights include "really really? Really really?" and the aforementioned bridge, which is so beautifully presented, and placed so appropriately within the song that you are blown away by such writing talent. Where has Shamir been? His album, and "On The Regular," in particular, have arrived like they were summoned by a Bat-signal made of hater blockers.
Listen

4. Courtney Barnett
"Pedestrian at Best"

2015 was a big year for Australian rockers: Tame Impala put out a game changing third album, and Courtney Barnett has won, like, a billion reviewers' hearts and minds with her simple, guitar-driven, indie rock. While "Pedestrian at Best" is both the hardest song on her album (the hilariously titled Sometime I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit), and the most like her obvious influences: The Runaways, Siouxsie and the Banshees; it's Barnett's absolutely--and this cannot be stressed enough--BRILLIANT rhyming scheme and ingenious lyrics that make "Pedestrian at Best" one of the greatest songs of this or any year.
Listen

3. Kendrick Lamar
"King Kunta"

It's no surprise that Kendrick Lamar could write a song as instantly gratifying as "King Kunta," but the fact that such a song exists means there might yet be hope for the barren wasteland that is the popular music industry. There has never before been a bass so bodacious, or a hook so insanely satisfying as Lamar provides in "King Kunta." If you didn't believe in his ability to change the face of rap before, you certainly will after this. We Want The Funk!
Listen

2. Beck
"Dreams"

Fresh off getting Kanye'd at the Grammy's while accepting the Best Album award for a beautiful if a little slow Morning Phase, Beck came back and powered through to create a signature song that best represents the Beck we've all come to know and love. "Dreams" is so catchy and upbeat it was covered by Taylor Swift in concert, but don't worry, there's still plenty of weird. A sludgy bridge sounds like someone put a little too much weight on the turntable, but then it's right back with a acoustic guitar reintroduction and more of that long-missing "E-Pro" sound. How he keeps doing it, no one knows.
Listen

1. HEALTH
"Stonefist"

In what might have been the most anticipated album of the year...other than Frank Ocean, or Adele...or...the new Tool album...or Chromatics' Dear Tommy...alright, alright. Except, out of all those, only Adele actually made good on her promise to release in 2015. Her and HEALTH, and while "Hello" might have been streamed and downloaded more than "Stonefist," it's no match for the sheer power. This is the biggest, loudest, and most coherent HEALTH have ever been. Musically it's a violent coup, while lyrically it's competing with Tame Impala for most disaffected guy in a one-sided relationship. A little mopey to be sure, but if you've ever been in that situation, you'll wish you had this kind of response to it. HEALTH are not pushed down or overly nostalgic over their unrequited love, they're going to do something about, dammit! This is the apathy of millions forged into a war club.
Listen Now!

New Music (11.12.2015)

Grimes
Art Angels

As the year begins to wind down, Grimes has decided to release an insane monster upon us all; a monster so powerful, and massive that anything other than sheer awe would be an act of stoic apathy.

Three years ago, Grimes released what may have been (and still might be) the most beautiful experimental electronic album ever. Brilliantly produced, Visions put Grimes in the public eye with a combination of inventiveness and curious fascination.

Art Angels, however, is NOT Visions. Apart from the three years of experimentation, heavy touring, and poor reaction the (non-album) single "Go" all clearly having influenced the sound, this is an entirely new direction for Grimes. Art Angels is pop at it's very best, and electronic at it's most creative.

The songs here are not ethereal wanderings or strange sonic experiments like Visions, or even more so her first two albums; though there is plenty for the high-brow listener to pick up on, the base of  what is found on Angels is more immediate, and based in beat rather than setting.

Grimes' massive library of influences is more patently evident as well. "Kill V. Maim," the album's highlight and one of the best songs of the year,  is straight off Bowie's Outside, and "Venus Fly," maybe the best hardcore dance song of this or any year, pulls straight from Health's brilliant Death Magic--and of course, Janelle Monae's contribution, while subtle, is absolutely perfect.

What's most obvious here is that Grimes has set herself up for a better live experience. Many of the songs are road-ready, like the female-empowerment of "California," the arena-rock blast of "Flesh withouth Blood," or the club beat of "Realiti." Everything here is geared towards making her live shows more inclusive and dance-able.

All things considered, going mainstream is never a bad idea if you can still maintain your identity, and Grimes has done exactly that. Art Angels is devious--a vaporwave album in dance-pop clothing--and just when you're convinced Grimes lost her way, the caustic beat will show you she's just on the road less traveled.

New Music (10.22.2015)

Another double feature this week. Musical acts have been packing it in here in October. I would say it's the award season rush, but these aren't movies, and the Grammy's are pointless and generally inaccurate anyway. Needless to say, two heavy-hitters came out with albums this past week that weren't available for streaming ahead of time so here they are now...

Beach House
Thank Your Lucky Stars

Since their debut in 2006, Beach House has been the model of consistency, releasing an album every two years like clockwork. And not just any albums; 2010's Teen Dream, and 2012's Bloom were so gorgeous a million copycats sprung up in their wake. That's what makes Thank Your Lucky Stars so surprising: two in the same year? Inconceivable!

The only problem with a virtuoso act releasing two albums so close together is that we barely had any time to unpack Depression Cherry. Beach House albums are filled to the brim with sound, as if the duo is grabbing everything it can before there's no sounds left in the store. Such immense layering requires multiple listens, often with plenty of thinking and alone time in between. Two gut punches to the feels just a few months apart may end up hurting more than expected.

But it's not like Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand just rushed through an extra record for the sales, shock value, or just to say they did. Thank Your Lucky Stars is still as well-formed and jaw-droppingly well written as ever. It's frustratingly evident that their talent knows no bounds, and that the spring of their signature sound will never run dry.

One of the hidden, extraordinary talents of Beach House has always been Alex Scally's painfully expressive guitar work. Each plucked string sounds like a new widow screaming into an endless and unforgiving sky. Each note is one teardrop away from overflowing the glass of emotion built by the incredible craftsmanship. Each solo is Scally laying bare his final offering before the Wailing Wall, broken and unable to go on even a moment longer without this last supplication being answered.

And once again, of course, the album ends beautifully. How could it not? This is Beach House after all, a band so amazingly consistent in their ability to exit on the crest of the wave it's almost sickening. On "Somewhere Tonight," Victoria Legrand's vocals soar to new heights, strong enough to fill even the furthest space in a cathedral, yet gentle enough to make it feel like your living room.

Certainly, the case for these nine songs being separate from Depression Cherry is well made; it's more immediate, and lacking the gauzy reverb we've become so accustomed to, but don't assume Beach House have changed their overall aesthetic. They're just as woozy and dream-like as ever, it's just that the dreams are getting a little...darker.

---

Deerhunter
Fading Frontier

Deerhunter is something of a conundrum these days. To say anything they do can reach the lofty heights of Halcyon Digest--a perfect album--is an outright lie. But fear not, Bradford Cox still has the songwriting chops to drag his band along with him to the gates of Valhalla.

And that is also the main problem with Deerhunter now. Since Cox has taken over the main duties, everything they do is just a slightly better produced Atlas Sound album. The songs, while still good on their own, don't have the ethereal quality of those on Microcastle and Weird Era Cont., or the impact of literally every note on Digest. Monomania was just a metal version of his solo work.

Yes, Lockett Pundt does some writing, and his only credit here, the psych-synth ballad "Ad Astra," is a major highlight of the album; but it is Cox who truly carries the weight of most song creation, and the change in sound is so jarringly obvious, it makes the album have an emotionally distant feel. If Beach House up there is always trying to make you cry, the first six songs of Fading Frontier is trying to flatline as much as possible.

But then there's the last three songs. "Snakeskin" may very well be the best song of 2015, and it brings all the classic amazement that we've come to expect of Deerhunter: spacey Bradford Cox lyrics delivered in speech-singing, intensely layered guitars, mind-blowing bass, and percussion parts so intricate and obscure music theorists wet themselves.

The previously mentioned "Ad Astra" is as hauntingly beautiful as it is sonically diverse and fulfilling, with the first recorded used of a drum machine by the band and a gently heartwarming vocal delivery from Pundt. And the closer, "Carrion," which Cox consistently pronounces as "carry on" (a play on words, or just strange delivery, with Deerhunter you can never tell), matches Digest closer, "He Would Have Laughed" for its weight and urgency.

Overall, Fading Frontier is a technically proficient album that is enjoyable in the sense that reading a master chef's recipe is delicious. For much of it's length, Deerhunter (particularly Cox) seem to go out of their way to prove something they don't have to--mainly, that they can write songs at an advanced level. When the Tin Man finally gets his heart, however, the remaining songs are so fantastic, the slog to get there feels rewarding. An accidental marathon.

New Music (10.15.2015)

Neon Indian
VEGA INTL. Night School

In the four long years since Alan Palomo released Era Extraña, he was apparently trapped in a Caribbean resort hotel bar...and not an expensive one--constantly being made to listen to worst that post-disco 80's tropicalia had to offer.

The influences of the "punk is dead" movement headlined by Prince, Blondie, and the Police, are so overtly present that Palomo might as well be beating you in the face with a neon strobe light--a fact only made more patently obvious by the Refn-esque cover photo, complete with faux-Japanese-import sidelight.

But don't worry, the overabundance of quasi-reggae influence by no means clouds the fact that this is most definitely a Neon Indian production. Night School is full of that signature gauzy, lo-fi sound Palomo pioneered on Psychic Chasms all those years ago (six...it was six years ago), as well as plenty of delicious bass grooves to keep your Debbie Harry-themed nightclub idea stocked for several spins.

As has become a niche for Palomo, it is the little semi-songs between larger moments that are used to great effect here. Intro "Hit Parade" expertly samples New Order and really sets the tone for the next 50 minutes, while "Slumlord Re-lease" almost tops its parent, and the fantastic "Bozo" is a schizophrenic mess with a beat to die for.

And while Palomo has been shelling out "Annie" to any late night show that will listen (it is the best example of the new sound), the real masterpiece here is the single "Slumlord," with its Vangelis-via-John Carpenter intro that slowly, but delightfully, builds into a chiptune fresco painted by a chillwave Rembrandt. The song is so good, it's chorus of "it goes on and / on and..." is practically begging you to make it do the same.

So, if you've been looking for a party album that makes all the attendees think they have cotton in their ears, Neon Indian has got something for you--an italo-disco soundtrack for that one great 80's detective movie. You know the one I mean.

New Music (10.08.2015)

Protomartyr
The Agent Intellect

There is a story of a man who once saw something no one else could. Whether it was because they didn't or couldn't or wouldn't, no one saw what he saw, and it was a thing so beautiful that he fell to his knees and cried. Such is The Agent Intellect.

In songs like "Pontiac '87" and "Clandestine Time," Protomartyr describe, through nihilistic scenes of both past and future, the hopelessness of the post-recession rust belt, as well as the tragedy of living. But instead of treating hope as forbidden, it becomes the contraband chisel you will use to tunnel out of your self-made prison. This mood pervades The Agent Intellect, Protomartyr's third album, which only serves to further expand the group's palette of sound and create even greater sonic pleasures than their already storied sophomore effort, Under Color of Official Right.

Part Joy Division and part Radio Dept., Agent Intellect is both the album we need AND the one we deserve. The songwriting is complex and brilliant, debuting the band's first suite-like song, the lead single "Why Does It Shake?," which serves as a demonstration of both their significant braintrust and their ineluctable brawn.

There are insanely fantastic moments on the album: the transition from "Cowards Starve" to "I Forgive You" sounds like so much fun, you'll forget singer Joe Casey is trying to teach you a lesson; the extreme punk of "The Hermit" is so overwhelmingly jumpy that a mosh-pit forms in your brain; the gorgeous production of shoegaze ballad "Ellen" is so mesmerizingly resplendent you will lose yourself in time.

Nothing, and I mean nothing, compares to the talent on display here. Protomartyr on Agent Intellect are so above an beyond any of their peers it almost leads to jealousy. "False Happiness is on the rise / See the victims piled high," Casey sings, almost as an accusation pointed at the modern world. It is a theme that runs through the entire work, but it is one we must accept if we ever hope for catharsis. The Agent Intellect is so beautifully heartrending, the sadness transforms into transcendence--the apotheosis of a child's ghost.

Detroit may be the great American tragedy--a once proud, gleaming city on a hill now disheveled and mostly abandoned, made the object of condescending documentaries--but long held suffering leads to the best art. As the empty coal towns of Ohio and western Pennsylvania spawned Ministry and Nine Inch Nails, and birthed the industrial scene, so shall the desolate car factories and steel mills of Flint and Pontiac birth a new renaissance...with Protomartyr their Da Vinci.

New Music (10.06.2015)

Deafheaven
New Bermuda

Departing from a schedule is pretty hard for yours truly to do, but when something as intensely epic as a new Deafheaven album appears, it's just that easy.

Deafheaven are clearly the best metal act currently racking up critical acclaim points, and with good reason. New Bermuda is an artistic masterpiece on par with their previous release, Sunbather, except here the beats hit faster, the guitars crash louder, and the weighty lyrics are as psychologically damaging as ever.

With great success comes great responsibility, a burden so frequently shouldered poorly by "groundbreaking" acts of past years: Sleigh Bells, Purity Ring, and Twin Shadow all come to mind; those bands and performers who implode under the pressure of staying on top. It's like Harvey Dent says, "you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain." Such is the tragedy of the industry.

This is where Deafheaven consistently triumphs however, in the face of ever-mounting demands, their foundation of art and music first, and eschewing the checking of boxes for innocuous, inconsequential genre labels, has built them a sound they can easily reinforce and a market they easily corner: black metal even your mom can listen to.

By no means does that make Deafheaven, or New Bermuda "soft." Quite the opposite in fact. Where the lush guitar arrangements might have you thinking shoegaze-dream-pop, the constant, unyeilding drums and intense production are screaming doom metal. While frontman George Clarke's lyrics might have you thinking Camus-esque existentialism, the obviously harsh delivery will drive home the crushing despair that is a world without hope.

It is a rare thing to find a metal album, speed-, black-, sludge-, doom-, or otherwise, that one would describe as "gorgeous," but Deafheaven creates such an environment consistently and with the utmost care and precision. It's hard to stay on the top of the mountain, especially with as fickle a fan base as heavy metal brings to bear, but New Bermuda is the kind of disparate-audience-spanning, new-genre-defining frontispiece that even the most pugnacious of metalheads cannot deny.

New Music (10.01.2015)

Eagles of Death Metal
Zipper Down

After seven years of near-silence, the silliest duo in rock are back with what might be their best work. Despite the ridiculous innuendo, simplistic songwriting, and...just...they're just ridiculous, Zipper Down proves that Eagles of Death Metal can still rock, hard.

The album kicks off with the best single EoDM has released since "I Only Want You." "Complexity," apart from being brilliantly written and perfectly produced (something the duo has had issues with in the past), it also serves as a manifesto for the pair's music and lifestyle. As co-founder Jesse Hughes said in a recent interview, Eagles of Death Metal are just fans of rock & roll, and are really just joining a party.

But no matter how much they downplay their talent and play-up their seat-of-the-pants vibe, Zipper Down proves Jesse Hughes and Josh Homme are world-class songsmiths, and clearly the life of the party. No rock album this year--and probably several years in either direction--is this much fun. From the silliness of anti-hipster anthem "Silverlake (K.S.O.F.M)," to the brilliantly produced sultriness of "Oh Girl," to the greatest cover the duo has attempted, this album is dance-the-night-away material.

Speaking of that cover, one of Duran Duran's "Save a Prayer," it is not only an odd choice compared to the ZZTop and Stealers Wheel that would seem normal, but it is absolutely fantastic. In what is by a wide margin the album high point, EoDM's version of "Save a Prayer" highlights all the band's best strengths: Jesse Hughes crooning and swoon-worthy guitar, and Josh Homme's unbelievably great production talent, which has to this point been almost unheard anywhere outside of his own projects. This song cannot be recommended enough; it outdoes the original 100-fold and showcases Eagles of Death Metal at their very best--hopelessly romantic.

We can only hope this is the first in a new resurgence of Homme quality output. The seemingly infinite break between Queens of the Stone Age albums and even longer one between Eagles of Death Metal albums was nigh-unbearable. And if Zipper Down is any indication, the resurrection will be the most awesome party in human history.

New Music (9.24.2015)

Ryan Adams
1989

I don't really care for Taylor Swift's music. She seems like a wonderful person and--as proven time and again--a great performer, just not really my taste musically.

That said, neither is Ryan Adams. Soft rock singer-songwriters are legion and though I do agree that Adams' skill is above and beyond the average bar-playing mope with a dime store guitar, the overall sound coming from that sub-genre is underwhelming at best.

And that is what makes 1989 so fantastic, because I've never heard anything like it before. I mean, apart from the original T-Swift versions.

Yes, this is a track-by-track cover of Swift's album of the same name, but where Adams succeeds is at taking the bubblegum sweetness of the originals and turning them into heartbreaking ballads about loss, loneliness, and breaking up.

The instrumentation is perfect and the changes in speed and key make every song seem like an entirely new creation. The standout here is "Bad Blood"--a song that had the even the most forgiving Swift fence-riders bristling at the overly-pop sensibilities--which Adams turns into an immaculate tale of the growing distance between partners who were not meant to be.

Ryan Adams recalls early (read: good) Springsteen and Bryan Adams (seriously confusing everyone) in his excellent deliveries that, in many cases, even rival Swift's. The emotion captured in something like a slow, acoustic take on "Shake It Off," the strain felt in every note of a classic rock retooled "Style," or the alt-country jolt of a hand-strummed "Wildest Dreams" is beyond compare.

1989 is pop like I never understood it could be. Usually covers don't get any mention by me, but Adams' are so perfect, taking each song and raising it to the status of instant classic, that I wish he would cover literally everything in the Top 40 right now. This is mandatory listening, and for me, on repeat. I have never heard an album so inexplicably good.

(P.S. Unlike someone, Adams puts his stuff on Spotify).

New Music (9.03.2015)

The Weeknd
Beauty Behind the Madness

Before we start, a question. Have you heard "The Hills?" If you haven't, you owe it to yourself, your family, and your country dammit, to stop and listen to it right now. Did...did you do it? Good.

The Weeknd has, since his mysterious, seemingly magical appearance in 2011 with House of Balloons, consistently refined and honed his sound to get maximum pop effectiveness without compromising his signature: R&B that's creepy as f***.  Of course, "The Hills" is a supreme example, with it's horror movie scream sample and lyrics referencing The Hills Have Eyes. But it's more than just creepy and artsy, it's a confession on par with the best Twin Shadow record and as apologetic as Miguel.

The entire message of Beauty Behind the Madness is not the usual hip-hop bravado--the "I don't want to change so deal with it" vibe--but is more like a warning--"I can't change so get away." Even blow-up song of the summer "Can't Feel My Face" is a foreboding message of obsession and lack of self-control. The detached ennui expressed by Abel Tesfaye on the cover art says it all.

As for the music itself, apart for the Weeknd's own back catalogue, I haven't heard anything like this since The-Dream's revelatory Love King in terms of nuance, invention, and extreme catchiness. Both albums strive to redefine R&B (or the blasphemous pejorative "PBR&B") as intellectual pursuits as well as odes to love-not-yet-caught.

While there has been much complaining and gnashing of teeth over the Weeknd's foray into the pop realm, Beauty Behind the Madness shows that such a journey can be just as fulfilling and profound as anything far more experimental. If anything, Tesfaye's transition from unknown to superstar only proves that "going mainstream"--and the access to better studio equipment that brings--only allows you to make your near-constant moralizing over choice and consequence richer and smarter than ever.

New Music (8.27.2015)

Beach House
Depression Cherry

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary to anoint one musical act with the title "Consistently Killing It," one must apparently turn to the often Huxley-esque dystopia that is the city of Baltimore for nominees. Beach House has a defined, limited sound, that can easily pigeonhole or utterly destroy a band's reputation, but which they have used to create vast soundscapes of hazy, keyboard-fueled glory.

When the single "Sparks" was first debuted, I was more than a little concerned that my hometown indie-heroes had gone rogue, a loud, reptetitive guitar sample invades an otherwise standard, foggy Beach House performance. It seemed out of place and more like they were trying to force themselves into a more pop-oriented sound. The truth is, no one song on Depression Cherry can be heard without the context of its surroundings. "Sparks" makes perfect sense, and is obviously brilliant, when preceded by "Levitation" and followed by "Space Song."

While much of Depression Cherry is more aggressive and louder than any previous Beach House release, it's not entirely unrecognizable; the previously mentioned "Space Song" could very easily have been a Bloom single. But the the real revelation here is "PPP" (not to be confused with How to Destroy Angels' VERY different "BBB"), which is dominated by Victoria Legrand's sprechstimme and massive amounts of fuzz, which combine for a truly Phil-Spector-esque wall of sound. It's closeness to Bat For Lashes' "Good Love" and Deerhunter's "Vox Humana" (which itself pulls the drum from the Spector-helmed "Be My Baby") is not a detraction as much as it is proof of the duo's versatility and ability to make any songwriting style their own.

So yes, the award for "Consistently Killing It" goes to Beach House. Each album they create is one of extreme beauty marred by sad life experiences. Depression Cherry is as grand, gorgeous, and sweeping as anything they have pulled from the ether, and is, to quote Colin Joyce, "an album-length sigh as eloquent as a manifesto."

New Music (8.06.2015)

HEALTH
Death Magic

It has been a long time--so long already--since HEALTH released a proper album that most people forgot the California noise-rock band even existed. They shouldn't have though, because if nothing else, Death Magic will remind you with a blast so loud your eardrums will defect. But don't worry, this isn't some ambient wall of static; with their third actual album, HEALTH have created the perfect blend of noise and pop.

Like Nine Inch Nails, and even more so My Bloody Valentine, before them, the structure-less landscape of the noise genre was spread out before HEALTH for them to conquer, like Lawrence of Arabia crossing the Sun's Anvil. Asked the eternal question "how does one take a niche, near-unlistenable genre and create fans," the answer (in all three cases) is "add pop."

Before Nine Inch Nails, industrial was a formless mass of dark-sounding samples and unintelligible, offensive lyrics. Trent Reznor created a following simply by asking "what would happen if there was a 4/4 drum machine here instead of, well, nothing?" Similarly, shoegaze was built out of loud, overly-progressive rock that no one could understand, that is until Kevin Shields asked "what if we played love songs like this?" So now HEATLH is asking, "what if Rhianna wanted to permanently damage everyone's hearing?" And the answer is ridiculously awe-inspiring.

Death Magic is a monolithic pillar of the loudest, coolest, craziest beats ever recorded covered by the most inventive soundscapes and fascinating lyrical structure released since the last Tool album (seriously, still waiting on that one). At the same time, HEALTH made good on their promise of Depeche Mode and...Katy Perry inspiration and made all that bombast as easily digestible as anything in the Hot 100 right now.

But even though HEALTH may have found their bubble-gum side, that doesn't keep the tone from still being disturbingly creepy; with song titles like "Flesh World," "Hurt Yourself," and "Drugs Exist," which have lyrics to match, that sense of dread that accompanied their breakouts "Crimewave" and "Die Slow" is still very much present.

With Death Magic, HEALTH look to expand beyond their small-market, big-noise origins, and begin what will almost surely be the sonic apocalypse: the fateful day when we all give in to our basest of musical impulses, create ceaseless noise, express perpetual nihilism, and cause deafness.

New Music (7.28.2015)

The Chemical Brothers
Born in the Echoes


It has been five long years since the Chemical Brothers last released an album, but has been 18 since they released one nearly this good. Sure, the duo has been putting out hit singles seemingly every year since is was in elementary school, but this is the first time in well over a decade since they sounded like they were actually trying.

While 2010's Further did push their creative envelope, using longer tracks, more dissonance, less coherent loops, and more complex beats, it still ended up being a sub-par, upbeat version of F**k Buttons. We won't discuss the pan-dimensional travesty that is We Are The Night, because even the singles were terrible (seriously..."The Salmon Dance"? What is this, a Weird Al record?). And despite the insanely popular track, "Galvanize," which reminded everyone that both the Brothers and Q-Tip were still a thing, Push the Button was pretty awful too.

But enough nagging. Born in the Echoes is as fantastic a piece of electronic music this side of Trans-Europe Express you will ever hear. The guest vocalists hit every mark, and the Brothers produce a trademark best using their performances to the maximum possible effectiveness. The beats and samples are intricate and varied, and the skill that made Dig Your Own Hole a dance landmark. Even Q-Tips mandatory appearance is amazingly inventive, allowing him more room to rap than just provide soundbites.

Despite the genius performances by Tip, St. Vincent's Annie Clark ("Under Neon Lights"), and Beck (gorgeous album closer "Wide Open"), the best song by a wide margin has to be the Ali Love collaboration "EML Ritual." Not only is the music fantastically weird--like a Trent Reznor remix of a Coil track--but the recurring sample is equal parts party-anthem and depressing, making for the oddest mix of emotions to be expressed by a drum-and-bass act.

Even if dance isn't really your thing, Born in the Echoes is an album that any music lover can enjoy. It's intelligent, brooding, brilliantly produced, and not just the Chemical Brothers best album in 15 years, but their best album ever.

New Music (7.16.2015)

Tame Impala
Currents

An aside: this new move in the music industry to align album releases with movie releases is as brilliant as it is stupid. Fortunately, the one great thing it does is allow me to actually get a review of an album (that has been streaming ahead of time) out before the album itself. This means you, the reader, get to either take my review into consideration, or more likely ignore it, before actually "purchasing" it (I don't kid myself, y'all ain't buying anything). That said, the first to benefit from the super advance is this week's addition to the New Music catalog...

It's been three years since Tame Impala's absolutely brilliant Lonerism was released. What was essentially and concept album on the feeling of loneliness and abandonment written to the tune of the 70's best psychedelia was also one of the best albums of this decade. Currents, while still running with the lo-fi and psychedelic recording techniques, is not the same musically. Kevin Parker's third album is more tightly produced--each song has a consistent musical theme as the last. It also includes a lot...A LOT more synthesizers and drum machines, aligning itself more with Psychic Chasms than Saucerful of Secrets.

But that's not to say Tame Impala abandons the old way completely; all the TI hallmarks are still plainly evident: hyper-layered vocals, shoegaze-style guitar, lyrics that stir thought more than knee-jerk emotion. Even at his most incomprehensible, Parker delivers his words with that pleasant-yet-eerie calmness that has long become his signature (and a psych-rock signature since the 60's).

All that said, I'm still finding it impossible to pick a favorite song from this set. Even the minute-long interludes are surprisingly catchy and ear-worming, and Tame Impala releasing basically every song as a single beforehand doesn't help. If you take away nothing else from this, just know that Kevin Parker is a genius, Tame Impala's music is mindbogglingly good even when they change styles, and Currents is one of the best albums of the year.

TL;DR: Currents is fantastic. Listen immediately.