Everybody rushes through December to try and get their year-end lists out the door. Sometimes this works, but I feel like it’s problematic because everyone is rushing through their own things to get ready for the holidays and tie up their work before the new year begins, so who really has time to sit and sift through all the lists that come out at the same time? It’s with this three-day weekend to start the year in mind that I had time to reflect on what music I would put to My Favorite Music of 2015 list.

Lists are mostly bullshit to try and sell something, but they’re best when they introduce you to something new that you missed out on. Traditional media outlets will confine their selections for music of the year to songs that were only released that year. Thankfully, this website is not a media outlet, so I don’t have anything like that holding me back. What I’d like to do is just list out some of the songs that came my way through the course of 2015, not all of which were released during the year. I’d recommend checking out all of the tunes, as maybe they’ll be as important to you one day as they have been to me.

The following are my most influential songs of the year, in relative order of when I was first introduced to each with links to the artist’s Spotify page in the title and a song to listen to now following each summary. At the end, I’ll list my top tracks and artists of 2015.

 

The Pack a.d.

There’s something about the raw sound of a guitar/drum duo that is just timeless. Check out this Canadian pair’s killer tracks like Lights, Big Shot, and Haunt You (below):

 

The Joy Formidable

I’m not sure exactly when this band came to fame, but I found them early in the year for their song named “Whirring.” This Welsh trio reminds me a bit of early Muse, with colorful songwriting, rock riffs, and a touch of emotion to every song.

 

Dead Sons

If the Arctic Monkeys continued down the route of their 2009 album, Humbug, in pursuit of a darker tone, you would be left with Dead Sons. A multi-man rock outfit from Sheffield, UK, they recently reformed in late 2015 after one of their primary members returned from touring with Arctic Monkeys. Their 2012 album The Hollers and the Hymns has a depth to it that you can discover a bit more to after each listen.

 

Wolf-Face

I caught these guys opening for Andrew W.K. in early 2015 in St. Pete. Aside from their edgy vocals and solid pop-punk tunes, they are just a fun band to listen to and see live.

 

Bromheads

Hailing from somewhere in the UK, I actually don’t know too much about this band, but I discovered them after looking for sounds similar to Dead Sons. It seems like they intentionally keep information about themselves vague. I like the sound of their vocals and songwriting style enough that they were an important inclusion this year.

 

Not Half Bad

Austin, Texas-based pop-punk guys Not Half Bad seem to take a page right out of blink-182’s book. The standout to me is “Van, Forever,” a track that looks back on times with old friends and praises the ability to let it go and grow forward with a forceful chorus that makes you want to shout. The shame is that during the year, they actually had their van broken into. Their gear was stolen, but the van was in tact, giving even more meaning to the word “Van, Forever.”

 

Diarrhea Planet

It is extremely hard to narrow down what Diarrhea Planet songs I like best. Just know that their actual music dives far deeper than the band name would lead you to. Here, get a taste of two perfect songs that demonstrate the full effect of four guitars in one band. “Platinum Girls” is a youthful song about what you’d feel when you see that girl that’s already taken but you know you’re better, and “Peg Daddy” is a slow-building, layer-upon-layer epic that explodes to let you know what Diarrhea Planet really has to offer. Don’t miss a second of it.

 

Slowride – As I Survive The Suicide Bomber (2002)

If you long for the days of nineties alt-rock, this is the band to revisit the sound with. Check out  “Montana,” “Winter,” and “Sorry For July.”

 

Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats

Think back for a second on what John Lennon’s voice sounded like on Magical Mystery Tour, on a track like “I Am the Walrus.” Now, think about how many drugs The Beatles were on when they made that album and imagine if all of their trips took a dark turn so that they didn’t write about love, but instead made music about the finite time you have on this world and your impending death. That’s Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats in a nutshell, but with a way more colorful sound than I can convey in words. Give “Mind Crawler” a listen and you’ll see what I mean:

 

RDGLDGREEN

One of the biggest surprises of the year, I was introduced to RDGLDGRN at a Foo Fighters show in D.C. on the 4th of July this year. They came out as the first band for a day-long marathon of music with artists representing each city that the Foo Fighters recorded in on their Sonic Highways album. Oddly enough, RDGLDGREEN was one of the influences of the best song on that album, “The Feast and the Famine.” Hailing from D.C., RDGLDGREEN blends hip hop and rock in a refreshing way not seen since the likes of the Stankonia-era Outkast, but a little on the lighter side. Their energetic live performance gripped me in, and their fun anthems with respect to their roots have kept me there. Below, check them out in the aforementioned Foo Fighters track, “Lootin’ In London,” and one of their new releases, “Runnin’ Away.”

 

The Autonomics

I’ve already used the word “colorful” to describe some of the music in this post, but if I could only use it once, it would be for The Autonomics.  A trio from Portland, the band’s color is evident even in the cover of their mostly-rock style album, Trust Your Instincts. The Autonomics know when to bang it out and when to slow it down. I recommend the entire album.

 

Meat Wave

When you want some loud underground rock, look no further than Meat Wave. Smooth vocals that blend with a full range of guitar, a steady bass, and thumping drums, Meat Wave had a 2015 full of releases. Check out “Cosmic Zoo” and “Brother” below:

 

Yeezer

I don’t care what your thoughts are on whether Weezer’s best album is Blue Album or Pinkerton, and I certainly don’t care about what you think about Kanye West; the man is considered to be a jackass by many, but has put out the defining hip hop albums of the past decade. Take the two artists’ best and most recognizable works and mash them together and you’d get Yeezer, a mash-up by college sophomore Alex Hodowanec. Don’t miss “The Buddy Holly Workout Plan.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elU91tTWhFg

 

The Spinners

This one kind of came out of nowhere, but The Spinners had some defining tunes for me in 2015, most notably “It’s A Shame” and “The Rubberband Man.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DE0EOIqwiQI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNNpk6uIT00

 

The Jackson 5 – I Want You Back

By this point in time, there’s not much that’s been unsaid about The Jackson 5. There’s just something about this track that makes you get up and shake it, even though the subject matter is kind of sad. I suppose that’s one of the song’s endearing features- everybody has somebody that they want back, which keeps you coming back to this song.

 

Most-Played Track of the Year: J.D. McPherson – Let The Good Times Roll

I caught JD and his band on Halloween in 2014 at a Queens of the Stone Age show, at which point I hardly knew a thing about them. They played a great set, and when they started this song, I was instantly lost in it before the first verse started. It took me months to find out what the song was, because it wasn’t even released yet. I finally found it when they started teasing their album of the same name during the first quarter of the year. Modern and classic at the same time, this song bestows a sense of calm, fun, and optimism for the future all at once. This was my most-played song of the year, because every time I listen to it, I’m still taken to another time and place.

 

Song of the Year: “Kangaroo Pocket” by Rozwell Kid

Oftentimes, the best memories are the kind where you don’t remember exactly how they started. you may not remember exactly how you met your best friend, your spouse, or had the defining moment of your life because the whole experience stays with you. That’s how my exposure to Rozwell Kid was in 2015: I don’t know how I first heard them and I’m not sure which song I heard first, but I know that they’ve been my favorite song to put on.

Rozwell Kid sounds like they took a lesson from Weezer’s “How to Write Songs that Are Catchy As Hell” autobiography. I’ve seen them get described as rock, pop-rock, slacker-rock, and just about anything related to rock. They do remind me of an early Weezer, except with less emotional lyrics. Instead, Rozwell Kid opts to sing about something we all know and love, hummus.

My highlight track is “Kangaroo Pocket,” a jam with shredding guitar solos, catchy hooks, a poppy chorus, and easy lyrics. The basslines are layered perfectly with the rest of the instruments to have life of their own as opposed to following along in the same steps as the guitar, which is a characteristic that, as a bass player, I love hearing. The drums are present without being overbearing, and you know when they’re about to kick in and pump out the part that you can’t wait to come. I got lucky and was able to see Rozwell Kid this year, which capped of a great year of new discoveries and a return of old favorites.

For reference, check out the rest of their work on Spotify:

 

Artist of the Year: JEFF The Brotherhood

There’s something so uniquely intriguing about JEFF The Brotherhood’s sound. It’s rock music, it’s chill music, it’s brand new yet so familiar, it’s something that I can listen to while studying or while working out. When I was initially thinking about who my Artist of the Year would be, they weren’t even on the radar. It was after seeing Spotify’s Year In Music feature that made me recognize they were the artist I played the most on the year. They put out two albums in 2015, which followed an awesome cover album in 2014 called Dig the Classics. A few samples of some of my favorite works follow. If you’re looking for a great album that you can turn on any time, check out 2012’s Hypnotic Nights.

 

There were so many songs and artists that made an impact on me this year. Going back through my music library was a real treat, and this post was a ton of fun to write, so I sincerely hope that you find something new that you like from it.

(Honorable mentions go to the following artists that came with me on my musical journey in 2015: Aloe Blacc, Andrew W.K., Beck, blink-182’s  Take Off Your Pants and Jacket, Death from Above 1979, Eagles of Death Metal, Foo Fighters, Interpol, Joyce Manor, Marvin Gaye, Mini Mansions, Queens of the Stone Age, Royal Blood, Wavves, and The Whigs.)