Dec 11, 2015 So excited for whatever he and the rest of Brainfeeder do next, they're all killing it this year.
Dec 12, 2015 I just started watching it last night (about to finish season 2). I don't think a show has elicited this much reaction out of me ever.
Dec 12, 2015 Hey guys just letting y'all know that #16-11 are going to be coming sometime tomorrow instead of tonight as I'm figuring out whether or not to add an album or not. So, see y'all then
Dec 13, 2015 #15: Drake - If You're Reading This It's Too Late I think this was the year I decided I might be a stan of Drake, maybe not a hardcore one, but a stan nonetheless. I really shouldn't enjoy this mixtape as much as I do as it's essentially throwaways, but thanks to great production, rapping and general consistency Drake somewhat lacked in his previous albums, this is probably my 2nd or even favorite Drake project. Cutting the fat and dropping some of the R&B influence of previous albums, we get Drake at his best. His bars are hot, his flows are tougher than ever before, and the moodiness of his previous albums is brought down to a more believable level. Drake has been killing it this year and this was the project that started this recent killer run. #14: Young Fathers - White Men Are Black Men Too Starting off as a rap group in Scotland, the trio has expanded their pallet on this sophomore release, making the transition from hip-hop into lo-fi and experimental pop. This transition is extremely smooth as for a bit this was my favorite pop album of the year, thanks to its incredible production, political messages, and doing what a pop album should do best, being insanely catchy. The hip-hop influences are obviously still there but if you had no idea who these guys were going into this album, you wouldn't believe they were originally a rap group as this new style feels completely natural. #13: Rae Sremmurd - Sremmlife Back in January when this came out, I had completely ignored this album, writing the group off as some generic mainstream garbage. However during the summer I came around and found myself absolutely loving the album thanks to the sure hand of Mike WiLL Made-It as exec. producer. Some of my favorite music from this year had a real depressing edge to it so it was nice to lighten up for a bit and have some fun, which Rae Sremmurd has in strides. The songs are all catchy as h---, Slim Jimmy and Swae Lee play off each other extremely well, and the features aren't half bad either. Sometimes it's hard to enjoy life but after listening to Sremmlife, it ain't all that bad. #12 (TIE): Archy Marshall - A New Place 2 Drown / Vince Staples - Summertime '06 I had a tough time deciding this spot, as both of these albums are great, but I didn't want to leave either out so f--- it, it's a tie. Let's start off with Archy Marshall's album as it just recently came out and most people don't know about it. While you might not know the name Archy Marshall, you've probably come across his music as King Krule. 2 years after dropping his debut under that name, he's back with A Place 2 Drown, a multimedia art project with his brother Jack, which includes a short film, a book of sketches, photographs, and poetry, and of course, this album. Compared to 6 Feet Beneath The Moon, his debut, this album is much more hazy and electronic. It's also a lot more mature sounding too (not surprising, as Marshall was only 19 when he release 6 Feet), which sometimes can be a bad thing with certain artists like Tyler, the Creator, but with Marshall it's only made his music that much better. Because this just came out on Thursday, I still need some more time to process it, but it's already great enough for me to place it this highly. I'd probably get slaughtered if I didn't include this album on my list, so I'll be honest and say that's one reason why it's so high up. A few weeks ago though I would've have barely mentioned it as I didn't really give this album much of a chance when it came out. However, I've come around now and this is seriously an incredible debut. There's definitely some flaws due to the double album format and this being Vince's commercial debut (not including his EP h--- Can Wait). However, the imagery Vince displays throughout the album in his storytelling along with the immaculate production. This album brings a lot of potential and I know Vince is gonna be doing great things for years to come (until he retires and becomes a stand up or something). #11: Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell This spot was also another tough one to choose as it was neck and neck for the 10th spot with another album, but I decided to place it one spot lower due to some personal preference with the production, as the bare bones approach Stevens takes works completely in its favor due to the subject matter (dealing with his estranged mother's death). However, I do like a little meat in my production, but let's get to the positives. This album is f---ing depressing. From the lyrics to Stevens' quiet and reserved vocals, this album really does hit you with an emotional gut punch, making you feel just empty. If you don't feel any type of emotion coming from this album, you got issues man. Go hug your moms guys. #10-6 coming tomorrow!
Dec 13, 2015 Fourth Of July is the best song on the album. Great choice! Surf's vocals are simultaneously so warm and depressing... It hits me whenever I listen to this song.
