Flawless Full Lengths

While a Best of 2015 album list is wholly expected, it's also easy and predictable, so here's a couple of albums that are wholly, greatly listenable from beginning to end that you shouldn't miss out on if you can help it.

In true rock style, Will Toledo began his music career recording songs from inside the family car, and that lo-fi, gasping for breath from under the water, desperately clawing sound is just as present on Car Seat Headrest's Teens of Style. We'd like to very strongly recommend, of course, "Something Soon", but also, "Times To Die", "Psst, Teenagers, Take Off Your Clo", "Strangers" and "Bad Role Models, Old Idols Exhumed (Psst, Teenagers, Put Your Clothes Back O)". In all his literary greatness, Will Toledo is still a fumbling twenty-something, and that sound comes out enticingly in a great mess of perfect sound you don't want to miss.

Avid Dancer's 1st Bath is worth more than a few listens, because it's honestly one of those that only gets better with each listen. Sure, it loses its way for a beat or two in the middle, but it finds its way back with such aplomb it's almost enviable; grabbing you lovingly by the shoulders in "Whatever's On Your Mind" and leading you through the remainder of the album with careful steps, all while clinging to a sheen of breathtaking honesty before dropping you off to enjoy the sweet little two person steady dance number that is "Up Against A Wall". Plus, who can deny a mention to the guy (Jacob Summers) who put his blood into his work; that's not red paint on the album cover, folks, it's pure unyielding 'that's cool but don't bring it any closer to me' artistry. Still not convinced? Listen to "All Your Words Are Gone" until you reshape your heart and let the magic and frailty of trust overtake you; it is so, so good.

I can't talk up the impeccable purity of Young Empires enough. You've got these full sounds with breaking, relatable lyrics and building riffs that sweep over a vast, lush landscape of sounds, all vying to be the first to take your breath away. It's intricate and fully aware of that fact without coming off as 'better than the norm', something that would lay in the realm of 'too artsy for your enjoyment'. Much the opposite, actually, if there's one on this list you really need to pay attention to, it's The Gates. It's breaking, fresh, and screaming personal revolution in its own quiet way, written openly and unselfishly for the kids who need to hear something uplifting that's not just fluff. Mature and beautiful, it is really something to take note of.

Even though it's expected, Bully belongs on this list because of the faulted honesty she so freely shares on Feels Like: like in tracks "Six" (which perfectly explains the guilt of mistakes in our youth) and "Sharktooth" (that draws you in with honest lines and twisted lyrics and grown up, harsh truths, culminating in "it's time to buck up and be a man"). Honesty is the one word we would use to sum up this album, harsh honesty if you want to get specific, because the unforgiving reality of "I Remember" and the straight up truth in "Trying" (because who the fuck else is going to admit to praying for their period to come) are so straight-forward and rough that they may be the most, embarrassingly, relatable lyrics of the year. It's indie grunge at its best and we're still not tired of it.

Yukon Blonde's On Blonde, much like Bully, isn't a far reach into the ether for songs you've not heard of, but these spinning riffs and great lyrics are not to be missed. Group vocals are always a plus and the entire album is just such tacit fun and easy-without-being-monotonous listening from start to finish that it'll still be great a year from now. "I Wanna Be Your Man", "You Broke The Law", "Favourite People", and, of course, "Saturday Night" are our suggested 'don't miss' tracks. Actually, just play "I Wanna Be Your Man" anytime you're feeling low, that riff will give you new life every time.

While not a full length, Mike Water's Life EP gets an honorable mention because holy fuck is it good. Our love affair with his sound started with the release of the "Gambling Man" video and quickly spiraled from there; the track's breaking and honest and almost painful with lines as honest as "sometimes I need to sink before I swim/ I’m not really built for the world I’m in" and "I’ve a lot of secrets I can’t share/ please don’t stay away, please don’t be scared" trotted out without shame, with an unobtrusive and sneakily honest video to match. "Feels Like Home" is a  sweet self-acceptance to get yourself hooked on and singing along to, and we're just really into "Dreams"; acoustic guitar, more honest lyrics, pretty vocals - goodness it's good. With its faulted truths and pure melodies, you'll want to keep listening into the new year.

But Still Can't Get Enough of Australia

Warring against our great love of so many more Swedish acts than we could list is our ever present appreciation for those Australian tracks that just reek of beach-y productions we'll never grow tired of. Also, keep in mind that most all of these are available for free download on Triple j.

Vallee's "Cuba" has been on repeat here for a bit, but their latest track, "Jungle", is what we'd love to draw attention to. Fun, irrepressible beats and a certain liveliness has kept the track at the forefront of our minds, and made it one that we think really should be on yours.

Citizen of the World could release a twenty second film clip and we'd be able to rant about it for two days. Another we wouldn't dream of writing about too much, lest we take from their greatness, "Setting Out" and "How Far We've Come" are tracks you should add to your repertoire.

CuzN's bar sing-along of a single "Ordinary People" is just so easy to fall for, so give it a listen and be sure to follow up on his music in the new year for more self aware lyrics and catching melodies you don't want to miss; that chorus is something to hear.

REMI's "Ode To Ignorance" is pretty fucking great, and that's all you need to know. Listen to the track and look for more from REMI in 2016.

Lime Cordiale, much like Citizen of the World, will always be one of our favorites, but there's no denying that "Not That Easy" would be good even if you weren't predetermined to love everything they put out. Sweet and fun, it's made for lots of listens and maybe even a car trip or two. That chorus is just too much to pass over and that low cost video makes it that much easier to fall for.

Problems hypnotic, dreamy sound with touches of psyhedelic electronic has been ahead of its time for years, and it all comes together on their latest single "Pretending" to create something truly unique you'll be happy to have experienced. Smooth and tranquil but still hitting in its lyrics, "Pretending" is just the start of more to come from Problems in 2016.

With a youthful energy and sound that would be at home in a packed club, Youth Allowance sounds like the opening band of your dreams, but we've no doubt they're going to define their sound over the next year to come up with a headline act. Take a listen to "Hang On Tight" for a taste of their addictive style.

With catchy melodies and measured beats against vocals that feel like that of a classic rocker, The Outdoor Type's interesting mix of sounds comes together to create something we've never been able to define, but are so glad we got the chance to hear.

We would be remiss if we didn't mention Patrick James on this list. Those melodies, that voice, why we haven't been granted a US tour yet, we may never know, but we are anxiously and impatiently waiting for our chance to hear such beautifully put lyrics and desperate undertones live, because there's no better way to judge if James really is as great as this single leads us to believe.

Why We Love Sweden

A short and compiled list of a few of our favorite Swedish acts of the year.

Ms. Henrik's "1994" sounds innocent enough at first, but breaking lyrics and unforgiving lines that build to these blatant truths will stick with you long after you're done listening, and have you reaching out for more music.

There may not be a prettier track than Mavrick's "Remedy". The stark, black and white video keeps the focus on the lyrics and lulling piano riffs that have already pulled in so many lucky listeners, but a good lyrical focus and careful lead-ins raise this above any other pure pop track. Listen to his acoustic Soundtrade Session for something that will have you proclaiming Mavrick as, possibly, the best new Swedish act of the year.

Leo Skywell's "Leisure/Desperation" is a dreamy-nearing-psychedelic techno track that swirls and builds and unwinds in dizzying ease. We don't have much to say on the track, because we'd rather let you form your own opinion on an even track we just wouldn't be able to stand taking anything away from.

Not the first, and neither the last, time that Sameblod has been featured on this site, we're glad to add their hypnotic mix of electropop to this list. While most electronic tracks skip the lyrics in lieu of a hitting chorus, Sameblod insists on keeping the verses as worthy of play as the sweet sing-along choruses they so easily put out, and we can't wait to hear more from them in 2016.

As far as debut singles go, MIRA's "Ghost" is utterly impressive. Its even approach and unnerving tones come together in a dreamy twist that feels so human in all its obscure influences. Listen, form your own opinion, and download it for free while you still can.

Patrik Jakubowski releases the starkest love song of the year, for the ocean. The simply shot video shows the love and dedication it takes to surf on Gotland, Sweden and the song unwinds with a simple, aching purity you've got to hear to understand.

Club 8's enticingly dark "Skin" is a whispering of hazy memories and dark clubs and sweaty dances and nearly remembered moments from one night, shoved into a song sure to have you taking a better listen.

Young and fun, we've not spent too much time with Factory Brains, but we know they're one we really want to hear more from in 2016; check out "Modern Day".

Perhaps the most hitting single we got in this year, Violet Days' "Screaming Colors" is undeniable greatness, wrapped up in four short minutes you'll be left playing over and over. As stated previously, the song comes off like coming out on the other side of depression, a bit like falling down the rabbit hole into something much more brilliant and full of honest life than the statuesque pretenses that lived before it. Cathartic, catchy, developed, honest; what's not to love?

Nitty Gritty & Fuckin' Good

With a sense of hard, fast, and easy we were gifted lo-fi, hard rock roots/throwbacks this year; unnerving undertones, drawn out bass and all, and it was so, so good.

Tim Muddiman and The Strange stayed at the forefront with each song darker than the last, in just the best way possible. It's authentic and pure and too good to pass over before it's forgotten in the wave of new music 2016 will bring. Listen to "Wildwood Stone" and don't forget to check out "Your Drugs" and "Rolling Stones". 

Midnight Barbers' "Damascus" was nothing short of hypnotic with running, old school riffs, harsh beats, and this echoing, uncontrolled brilliant reverb that demanded your full attention. It'll take a second listen before you can even begin to focus on lyrics and another just to watch a video as wonderfully twisted as the track itself. 

Guaranteed to make you smile with its off-the-beat, drunken sounding lyrics and fun, fun riffs, The Savage Nomads "Rosy Tan" is like the just having come of age drunken love song you never knew you kind of really needed. Chill and unrestricted, it just gets better with each listen.

Electro rock deserves a shout out if only for its intrinsically 'hot mess' promised sound. The Singularity's "Wetter" is like a shot of 80's pop falling in with catchy hooks and hard beats and lyrics that just don't give a fuck in the absolute best way possible. Everything about the track, video, and drawn out guitar solo of a bridge screams throwback, and we're pretty glad this exists.

We're not going to say we love this solely because they're one of few all female bands delving into this lo-fi, dark and dreamy category, but we're super into this and it is so very cool to be able to feature some women in a genre that's largely dominated by men. Dreamy and unwinding in a drugged haze, Dolores Haze's "Touch Me" are all the hypnotic riffs you'll need to have you begging for more.

Rah Rah's "Be Your Man" is like a spacey, folk version of lo-fi grit, with its perked up chorus and pretty instrumentation, but put together in such a laissez-faire way that it hangs off the fringes of dreamy post-punk, rock on the upswing, alternatively imperfect and that's okay vocals, with some unforgiving lyrics for show. Really, be sure to check this one.

Car Seat Headrest's gasping, desperate lo-fi sound culminates nicely on irrepressible single "Something Soon". Mental illness, loneliness, teenage boredom, cathartic releases, and a video featuring the 'death' of the lead singer; it's got all the makings of a good grunge/rock/underground comeback, but with something wholly new and twisted you should already be on-board with.