With the end of 2015, SCAD Atlanta Radio looks back at the previous year at some of our favorite albums that were released. You’ll notice that not a lot of mainstream artists are on this list and that is on purpose. Part of what SCAD Atlanta Radio prides itself on is being able to provide music that the masses may have overlooked or perhaps not even heard of. That’s not to say we don’t like listening to any of the records of mainstream, we know you can find them anywhere. We wanted to give you those hidden gems of 2015, to create a platform for mainstream and underground music. And now, here is our list of 25 Favorite Albums of 2015 by us!
25. Foals – What Went Down
The multi-genre band Foals 4th studio album is one of those albums that’s great to play on road trips and not realize how much time as passed by once you’re done. This indie-rock based album is a playground for the ears with guitar-riff, dance beats with splashes of punk.
24. Sleater Kinney – No Cities To Love
After a decade, Sleater-Kinney makes a major come back with their latest album No Cities To Love. The dedicated fan base for this all-women rock band has waited patiently for this album. Fueled by Punk and passion and never losing its steam, it makes you wanna have fun with your friends, dance alone in the mirror or go to a house party to forget any and all cares of the world.
23. THRILLERS – Cotton Candy Kisses
L.A. based THRILLERS debuted their funky electro pop album Cotton Candy Kisses. Using the sounds of 80’s R&B, New Wave, Electro and Soul, brothers Gregory and Jeremy Pearson create a retro influential synth melodies that blend a multiple of genres from yesteryear while presenting them in a contemporary platform. A great album for Valentine’s Day or just dance and fun.
22. Le1f – Riot Boi
Fun, provocative, honest and unapologetic. Le1f ‘s debut album Riot Roi grips you and takes you in his world of truth, sex and dance, not letting you go until it’s over. The New York native brings to light the pride of his sexuality, his knowledge of a system that dismisses the unrepresented and the beauty of his own skin through the spell of his rap style and danceable beats. Another album that’s underrated and worth a listen.
21. Beach House – Depression Cherry
There were two Beach House albums released this year but this one is my favorite of the two. Depression Cherry is the follow-up to 2012’s Bloom. The present familiar dream pop sounds but somehow more quiet, more private than the music on Bloom with a rich texture of synths and steeped in reverb.
20. Icky Blossoms – Mask
Aggressively electronic with an industrial spin, Icky Blossoms’ second album Mask hits the ground running and never lets up from start to finish. The Nebraska band trio, Sarah Bohling Derek Pressnall, and Nik Fackle, employ a multitude of instruments to create a stream of musical energy via electropop, infectious dance tracks and a mash of digital noise. Reflective of their glitchy and digitally splashed album cover, their music is all over the place yet remains constant in its foundation of synth and electronic music.
19. Introverted Dancefloor – Introverted Dancefloor
Introverted Dancefloor is full of fun tracks that blend together House, Dance and Neo-Disco into a chill, retro-esque atmospheric groove. Bevan Smith is the “Introverted Dancefloor” himself with this self-titled debut album. His vocals provide an added cool sense of calmness to the already downtempo track that become more ambient with each track. The steady electronic melodies made it easy for the listener to dive into the album without coming up for breath.
18. Panda Bear – Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper
The entire album takes on this otherworldly kind of sound; one can find new things they haven’t heard before. If anything can be said about Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper, it’s weird and trippy. And that’s a good thing. Noah Benjamin Lennox aka Panda Bear experiments with a wide range of sounds, noises and effects. The entire records entrances you with riffs of reverb, flickers of sound and mechanical glitch like noises coupled with beautiful melodic scores. You have to hear it to believe it.
17. Lolawolf – Everyfukinday
Rebellious, carefree and reeking of an IDGAF attitude, this album is clearly meant for young millennials. Zoe Kravitz leads this trio band with James Levy, Jimmy Giannopoulos on their latest mixtape, Everyfuckinday. Zoe’s sing/rap lyrics over smooth RnB influenced Eletropop is simple yet direct and to the point with an obvious aura of “unbotherness” to her songs. This mixtape defines the meaning of “lowkey.”
16. Shana Falana – Set Your Lighting Fire Free
Full of ethereal, whimsical soundscapes, Shana Falana’s debut LP Set Your Lightning Fire Free sets the mood for a perfect almost carefree time with yourself. The Brooklyn two person band, frontwoman Shana Falana herself and drummer Michael Amari, experiment with Dreampop, Alternative Rock, Shoegaze and a splash of psychedelic sounds. Together they create a playground of emotions with each song ranging from heartache, power dominance, anger and joy; music that is as equally esoteric, intriguing and inquisitive as is their album titles
15. Brendan Philip – Brendan Philip
Dark, ambient, yet filled with passionate Electro Soul, Brendan Philip serves up is own brand of eccentricity his is self-titled EP. Perhaps a more starker take of Alternate R&B, the album creates an atmospheric dream like state about love, sex, relations and intimacy.
14. Leon Bridges – Coming Home
If there was anyone the could revive the Motown sound, it’s Leon Bridges. Coming Home is a wonderfully soulful album that matches the quality sound of genuine 1950’s and 1960’s RnB and Soul which provides a complimentary sound for a contemporary synthesized generation.
13. Petite Noir – Le Vie Est Belle
La Vie Est Belle/Life Is Beautiful is a poignant, beautiful, and striking album crafted by Petite Noir. It is his debut full length studio following up to his EP King Of Anxiety released earlier this year. The album is composed of a myriad of blended sounds that melt and flow together effortlessly: drums, horns, bass, smooth electronics and seasoned beautifully with Petite Noir’s deep haunting vocals similar to Dave Gohan of Depeche Mode.
12. Andra Day – Cheers To The Fall
Andra Day brings the sweet melodies of the old school a generation of millennials with her debut album Cheers To The Fall. Rollings Stone described her best as a “post-millennial Billie Holiday.” Smooth vocals, soft melodies, not unlike Amy Winehouse, on top of jazz, Blues and Doo-Wop make for a delightfully soulful album.
11. Tame Impala – Currents
The very much anticipated follow-up to 2012’s Lonerism, this new Tame Impala record has a little bit for everyone. Definitely has a more electronic/dance vibe than the previous record but still retains the psychedelic melodies and lush arrangements Tame Impala is known for (along with Kevin Parker’s chill vocal delivery). The production is strong without ever feeling like it’s overwhelming.
10. Chvrches – Every Open Eye
The Scottish band synth-pop Chvrches make a powerful return with sophomore album, Every Open Eye. Members Lauren Mayberry, Iain Cook, Martin Doherty deliver a more abundantly polished production and poised vocals than before; this EP resonates similar themes of emotions with a pop flair from their first album however, it more re-energizes those themes and more adamantly and dynamically.
9. Toro y Moi – What For?
Toro y Moi creates a retro-chill atmosphere with 4th studio album What For? Fulled in fusions of soft rock, funk, dreampop and psychedelic rock, the question What For? seemed to be answered within the music of the album. At the same time, the album give homage to the sounds of 70’s funk and 80’s pop mixed together with a spice of vintage.
8. Azekel – Raw Vol. 1
Perhaps one of the most underrated albums on this list, Azekel brings sweet beautiful ballads over electronica fused R&B coupled with entrancing hooks and baselines. His smooth vocals marinate over the statically charged electronica melodies with soft yet potent downtempo beats reminiscent to 90’s R&B love songs. The entire EP plays with white noise, static and radio-sounding interludes to set up a disorienting and even haunting majestic experience, just as the album cover of circling light suggest.
7. MNEK – Small Talk EP
Young British singer/songwriter/producer MNEK drops his album Small Talk EP that beautifully and soulfully combines Dance, House and R&B overlaid with powerful vocals to create tracks that you can’t help to dance, in private or public. He leaves no “if ‘s”, “and’s” or “but’s” about it, you either like what you hear wanting to hear more or not. This London native isn’t afraid to experiment, blend and mix genres to create tracks full of soothing soulful energy and just overall danceable funness.
6. Radkey – Dark Black Makeup
Punk, punk and punker. For a band that is so young, everything about their music is so mature: the riffs, the deep vocals, the songs themselves. Radkey proves with their debut album Dark Black Maskup that youth isn’t always wasted on the young. This band of brothers (no, really) Dee, Isaiah and Solomon sound as though they’ve been making music for the past 20 years.
5. Braids – Deep In The Iris
Braids’ 3rd studio album Deep In The Iris weaves together a well-crafted experimental record that is emotionally charged, melodically beautiful and passionately vocal. The Canadian trio band Raphaelle Standell-Preston, Austin Tufts and Taylor Smith make up the band. Perhaps their best record to date, Deep In The Iris blends genres like Dreampop, Shoe-Gaze, and Indie rock to construct an album that is full of fervor and musically resonates with the listener emotionally as well as politically.
4. Purity Ring – another eternity
Spooky, haunting, energetic and awesome. Purity Ring comes back with power on the second full length album; another eternity takes bolder, stronger and more confident musical choices than their debut album Shrines. Albeit somewhat less esoteric than Shrines, another eternity still delivers and amplifies than band’s unique sense of wonder, awe and mysteriousness through polished production and newer stranger melodies.
3. FKA Twigs – M3LLI55X (Melissa)
Melodic in vocals. Unorthodox in her production and delivery. Creepy and disturbing yet still entertaining. It seems there are no boundaries that FKA Twigs isn’t afraid to cross musically. Her follow to LP1, M3LL155X (Mellissa) is an digital mash of sound, glitch, distortion and beats that are so entertaining to listen. It’s the type of weird music that’s good even if you don’t fully understand it.
2. Grimes – Art Angels
Weird yet pop-y. Creepy yet artsy. These are just some of the descriptors that can be used for the Canadian experimental soundsmith. Art Angels is Grimes’ 4th album and the follow up to her 2012 ethereal sounding album Visions. The album invokes an unquestionable eccentricity, esoteric vocals (or screams) and melodies that are extremely playful, even innocent.
1. Kelela – Hallucinogen EP
One of the most evocative and introspective albums about love, relationships and power dynamics this year, the soulful alternative RnB songstress Kelela released her EP Hallucinogen. Like a siren, her voice is captivating, alluring and haunting all at once. The LA-based singer brings a new life to R&B and Electronic music alike intertwined with her beautiful vocals creating an immersive atmosphere that’s very easily to lose oneself musically.