Records & Riffs

The most celebrated album of Dave Matthews Band's career is 1998's reputation-bending Before These Crowded Streets, a 70-minute magnum opus that features the band at its biggest and best. Steve Lillywhite produced the album, in addition to other DMB records from the 1990s, and joins the podcast for two episodes to discuss so much of what makes this album the band's most respected -- and yet still doesn't get its mainstream due 20 years removed from its release.

This episode details Lillywhite's approach to producing DMB and what designs he had on the album well before he even knew what songs the band was bringing to the table. He also gets into why he got sober and how, ironically, this record is what he feels is his most psychedelic despite the fact he was not on drugs or alcohol while producing it.

Steve Lillywhite on Before These Crowded Streets (Part 1)

Records & Riffs -- Episode 16: Steve Lillywhite (Part 1)

Best of 2016

Records & Riffs -- 2015 Music Year in Review

Download

OK, so it's more than two weeks late, but that's the real world for you. This season in college basketball has been relentlessly fun and busy (plus, being a father to a toddler), so that caused a waylay to posting this. But now we're here, and 2016 is still fresh in mind. With that in mind, some thoughts on what I thought was a good-not-great year for music.

As prelude to the list, I feel compelled to mention that I still did not have time to listen to a number or records in full, if at all. So here are albums I don't discuss on the podcast, records that were either well-regarded on year-end lists or are LPs I'm personally still eager to listen to, but haven't found the time just yet:

-- Masterpiece, Big Thief
-- Skeleton Tree, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
-- Act V: Hymns with the Devil in Confessional, The Dear Hunter
-- You Want It Darker, Leonard Cohen
-- The Hope Six Demolition Project, PJ Harvey
-- untitled unmastered., Kendrick Lamar
-- Patch the Sky, Bob Mould
-- Nice as Fuck, Nice as Fuck
-- More Rain, M. Ward
-- Big Boat, Phish

As for the albums I did listen to, I'm first going to just list out the ones that didn't make my favorites list. If you want reasons why those records are where they are, I get into it on the podcast. Same for the second section. As always, this is entirely from my perspective. That's what makes music so fun to talk about.

Critically praised records that I couldn’t connect with

• Lemonade, Beyonce
• 22, A Million, Bon Iver
• American Band, Drive By Truckers
• Puberty 2, Mitski
• My Woman, Angel Olsen
• The Life of Pablo, Kanye West
• Schmilco, Wilco

Disappointing or inconsistent or underwhelming releases

• Commontime, Field Music
• I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it, The 1975
• Signs of Light, The Head and the Heart
• Blonde, Frank Ocean
• A Moon Shaped Pool, Radiohead. Burn the Witch is awesome.  
• White Album, Weezer

Honorable mentions (Or: Albums I liked but didn’t love)

-- Spacedust & Ocean Views, Anders Osborne: Only got to this in the past two weeks. Some scanty sounds and mellow throughout, with the occasional passionate push. I haven't heard his other stuff, which is apparently more aggressive, but I'm going to dig in soon.

-- Painting With, Animal Collective: Delightfully weird. This band is constantly just throwing a bunch of aural color in the air and seeing what patterns come to be when they all land. Standouts: "FloriDada," "The Burglars," "Spilling Guts."

-- True Sadness, Avett Brothers: Within the first five seconds it sounds like a different album from any previous Avett Brothers record. Then track two, "Mama I Don't Believe," brings us back to familiar territory. Interesting ideas here, but I can't stay this ranks as a top-five Avetts effort. The Rick Rubin pairing didn't necessarily work, maybe?

-- Why Are You OK, Band of Horses: Not quite on the level of the first three tremendous records, but it's a big return after the confusing and forgettable Mirage Rock. Welcome back, BOH!

-- Coloring Book, Chance the Rapper: Gospel sounds, colorful feel. He has something to say. The Kanye influence undeniable. It's goood fun. There are parts of this album I only want to hear during the day ("Same Drugs") and others that work best around midnight ("Smoke Break"). Highlights: "All Night," and the instrumentation and production on "Finish Line/Down."

-- Peach, Culture Abuse: Took me by surprise, but some great, active guitar sounds, a drummer who knows what he's doing and a breeze of a listen. This LP barely cracks 30 minutes, like any punk record worth its salt, but I like what's going on here. I'm too old to love punk, but bands like this make me want to embrace it more. Also, when's the last time a punk band dropped a harmonica solo in one of their songs ("Yuckies")?

-- We're All Gonna Die, Dawes: Well, it's the best Dawes record I think I've ever listened to. I also get the sense I would have enjoyed this band a lot more when I was 20.

-- Every Now and Then, Jagwar Ma: Not as good as Howlin'. Feels like a grower. I have a strong sense I'm going to like this album a lot more on the 10th spin than I did on the first.

-- Junk, M83: Sounds from the '60s on, and some filler, but really cool experiements too. Best song featuring a harmonica in 2017 might be this album's closing track, "Sunday Night 1987."

-- A Weird Exits, The Oh Sees: A band whose catalog I want to dive deeper into. This has some good ideas. Sharp prog rock styles. The rhythms are great, but some of the songs are nice jams that drag a bit too long. On the whole, a lot of potential here. King Crimson, Yes, Genesis fans will find plenty to like

-- Cardinal, Pinegrove: Real garage sound, and a blend of the sensibilities of Dashboard Confessional and Ben Folds, among others. "Waveform" is the song that stood out to me. I need to spend more time with this record. Can't tell if it will have increasing or diminishing returns.

-- The Dream is Over, Pup: If I was 22, not 35, I'd have a better chance at really finding a connection with this music. But that doesn't mean I don't think it's quality. I'm not a punk rocker, but this has some blend of like ... if The Offspring was put in a blender with The Hold Steady and then dashed with Japandroids. It's fun, even when the content is angry.

-- The Getaway, Red Hot Chili Peppers: Here's the real talk: The title track from this album is also the lead track, and it's pretty damn good. There's a few tracks on this album ("Goodbye Angels") that would probably get more play if they weren't from an aging rock-funk band like the Peppers. Just their third album in 10 years, this is a pretty good output, all things considered. There's filler, but a song like "Encore" is a great deep cut on the back end.

-- Everybody Wants, The Struts: Ain't nothing wrong with some angular glam rock. This album actually came out in 2014, then, after The Struts caught traction in the States, was re-released in 2016 with some touch-ups and new cuts. Yes, the Freddie Mercury influence is overt. Yes, that's a good thing. This is a fun band, a group I'd like to see live relatively soon. "Put Your Money on Me," "She Makes Me Feel Like" and "These Times are Changing" are standouts.

-- Starboy, The Weeknd: This guy is becoming one of my favorite solo artists in modern pop music. This record isn't as good as 2015's Beauty Behind the Madness, but it's still pretty vital sounding. The only issue is it feels about 15 minutes too long. "Secrets," "Starboy," and "Sidewalks" are must-listen.

 

My favorite albums of 201615. Wolfmother's Victorious. Release date: Feb. 19. Grade: B.

Crunchy guitars, tasty songs, great riffs. Wolfmother's one of those bands I've only heard bits and pieces of over the years. This record made me chase down a big portion of their discography in the weeks after I heard it. Victorious isn't at the top, but it's still pretty nice and a good way to kick off my favorite LPs of 2016. "Pretty Peggy" and the title track are my go-tos. I wish there were more bands with this kind of sound who found stable success.

14. Umphrey’s McGee's Zonkey. Release date: Nov. 11. Grade: B.

Super-fun cover/mashup album. There aren't a lot of bands who could do something this ambitious and have it not be cheesy or short of hitting that delicate line between taking cover material and making it sound inferior by going for a true replication. This is a ranking of my 15 favorite studio records, regardless of covers or not. This one's way fun. Some recommendations: "Can't Rock My Dream Face," "Sweet Sunglasses," "Come As Your Kids."

13. Car Seat Headrest's Teens of Denial. Release date: May 20. Grade: B.

Obviously the band name is brutal. Maybe one of the five worst I’ve ever seen. Did founder/creator Will Toledo name it on a dare, and then had to keep it once success latched on to the name? Anyway, the music is what matters, and this feels like a band Kurt Cobain would’ve really embraced as a 50-year-old. What keeps this from cracking my top 10: it’s just way too long. The songs are solid but they’re not interesting enough instrumentally or dynamically to warrant cracking six minutes. That happens on five of the 12 tracks. The record’s 70 minutes long. “Drunk Drivers / Killer Whales” is the song that got a lot the attention, but my go-tos are “Fill in the Balnk” “Destroyed By Hippies” and “1937 State Park.” I do wonder if this album will have lasting value, or if we’ll look back in 2026 and be like “remember when Car Seat Headrest was a thing?”

12. Solange's A Seat at the Table. Release date: June 28. Grade: B.

Well, this is absolutely worthy of the praise. I went into this with measured expectations, and it exceeded those. Too many interludes, but on the whole I found this so much better than big sis' Lemonade. She's got a great voice, something to say, and the beats blend great with aggressive-still-laid-back vibe. I'm not going to fake it with you: female R&B albums are not exactly up my alley; they're most something I can't identify with. Even here, Solange is hitting on a lot of issues I've never dealt with. But she makes a compelling record, something that had me wanting to learn more. "Don't Wish Me Well" is hypnotic.

11. Blood Orange's Freetown Sound. Release date: June 28. Grade: B.

Not trying to explicitly and only compare one album style to another -- because they are different -- but let's compare this record to Blonde by Frank Ocean. For me, this one is just so much better. It has beats! Whereas Blonde ... doesn't. There are good grooves. Interesting lyrics and compelling subject matter that matches. "Best to You" was one of the smoothest duo pop songs of 2016. Then you've got a song like "E.V.P." which sounds like something out of ... 1990? Funky, but it fits. Not every track is a keeper, but almost every one has at least one interesting approach to it.

10. Frightened Rabbit's Painting of a Panic Attack. Release date: April 8. Grade: B.

Heck of a band. Earnest, but not to a fault, and a great blend of lyrics and music. "Little Drum" (there's an homage to Vince Guaraldi in there) and "Break" are standouts. Feels like Frightened Rabbit has the potential to be a band puts out 6-8 good to great records without ever truly breaking through the mainstream. That's OK, I guess, but I'm surprised these guys don't have a bigger following. Really feels like one of the best bands to come out of Scotland and find footing in America.

9. Run the Jewels' Run the Jewels 3. Release date: Dec. 24. Grade: B.

And this is why releasing best-of lists on Dec. 4 can be silly. Run the Jewels, which slates its in-store release date for January, technically releases its album in 2016. A free digital download. Glorious. I am interested in how RTJ seems to have build out a following of hardcore fans in their 30s. I ask college basketball players about Run the Jewels, and most don't know who they are. This record is still very fresh. I can't say it's on the level of Run the Jewels 2, but it feels better than the debut. "Talk To Me," "Legend Has It" and "Panther Like a Panther" are my three favorite ... for now. That's gonna change.

8. The Tragically Hip's Man Machine Poem. Release date: June 17. Grade: B+.

If this is going to be the band's last studio album, it's a fine way to end a tremendous career. For those who may not know, after this LP was recorded, lead singer Gord Downie was diagnosed with brain cancer, in December 2015. The subject matter of the record can be connected in an auxilliary way to that diagnosis, but the reality is all of the songs were written before that happened. "Here, in the Dark" is a favorite of me. "Tired as Fuck" has a drum part that's great to play along to -- and listen with headphones. This one was under-represented on year-end lists. Again, I'm not sure why. There are still booming rock records being made, and it feels like groupthink is pushing all but two or three rock records to the margins each year. And I highly recommend this piece by Bruce Arthur from the Olympics, which coincided with the final concert of The Hip.

7. Jim James's Eternally Even. Release date: Nov. 4. Grade: B+.

Underrated on many a year-end list. To me, one of the 20 most interesting albums released this year. I'm not sure why it's not more populated on top-50 lists. It's got maybe two tracks that feel like filler, but James is in his groove here. Songs like "True Nature" and the eponymous track, which closes the album, stand out. This isn't as good as his 2013 solo effort, Regions of Light and Sounds of God, but it's close. A very nougaty '70s vibe exists throughout the album, and with James you get the sense that's both affectionate and tongue-in-cheek; this feels like an homage without being recycled. It's a shame My Morning Jacket is so good, because James could make it on his own for a long time -- but MMJ is still making superior records.

6. Sturgill Simpson's A Sailor's Guide to Earth. Release date: April 15. Grade: B+.

Took me until a fourth listen, and then it hit me. Yeah, the album’s really good, and I say that as someone who doesn’t really like country all that much. This blurs the edges of the genre as aggressively as you could think. It’s not really even country. The fact Simpson’s been able to build a following and do this in the demeanor, style and on the time he wants is impressive. You’ll notice a number of albums listed among my favorites are fast listens. This one, too. It’s just nine songs and under 40 minutes. The joy that turns after the earnest start to “Welcome to Earth (Pollywog)” has a backing vocal that’s infectious. The “In Bloom” cover got a lot of run, and it’s a good twist on Nirvana, but my favorite song by far is “Brace for Impact (Live a Little).”

5. David Bowie's ★. Release date: Jan. 8. Grade: B+.

You know, when I listened to some of this really good LP, I couldn't help but think, I wish Radiohead would make a late-career record in this style. It's pretty amazing Bowie could produce such a vivid piece of art so close to his death and so "late" in his life, relatively speaking. Plus, there's a track on here titled "'Tis a Pit She Was a Whore." "Lazarus" is one bad-ass track, and probably the best song on the record, though it gets a good fight from "Dollar Days." Bowie's final trick is creating an album with a no-nonsense running time (41:17) and making every moment count.

4. Anderson .Paak's Malibu. Release date: Jan. 15. Grade: A-.

This album came out at the start of the year and I didn't listen to it until Dec. 8. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME. "Put Me Thru" to "Am I Wrong" is a great transition. The album does a great job of overflowing with ideas and making those ideas connect. The bass on this record is TERRIFIC. Giving it such a high grade because it's so vibrant and feels fresh without completely reinventing anything. But the bass is lean and strong, and .Paak's got a distinct voice. He knows how to use it with the songwriting he's crafted. I found my head irresistibly bopping to this one. When it finished I wanted to listen to it again immediately from the start -- and did. "Your Prime" and "Come Down" sound like some Grade-A Kendrick Lamar stuff, too.

3. Kaleo's A/B. Release date: June 10. Grade: A-.

Disappointed by the current state of the Black Keys but want something in that general arena? Here's your answer. Terrific track 1, "No Good," makes you wat to get on your feet. That's an entrance. "Glass House" is a locomotive party tune. Imagining hearing that song in an club that fits 400 people and I'm trembling already. Then they turn around and lay down a gorgeous acoustic tune in "All the Pretty Girls." I had no idea who these guys were until a few people on Twitter mentioned them in early December. So yeah, one of the most surprising band discoveries of the year for me. One of my favorite album covers this year as well. They're from Iceland but seem to have developed a decent following in the States. The lead singer, JJ Julius Son, has one of the best young voices in rock.

2. Ray LaMontagne's Ouroboros. Release date: March 4. Grade: A-.

Knew it was a lock to be in my top 10 the first time I listened to it -- and by the time I was only halfway through it. Upon reflection, there's only one 2016 album that I find myself both wanting to listen to more and feel is a "better" LP. I love this record in part because it sounds like it was produced and written with the intention to be pressed to vinyl. Part One and Part Two are distinct. Part Two's "In My Own Way" is a lifting, satisfying way to continue the record-playing experience. "Hey, No Pressure" features maybe the best riff I heard this year. Jim James on production, by the way. Terrific atmosphere. And a great trick here: a running time under 40 minutes, yet it feels the better part of an hour -- in a good way. Not an easy feat to pull off. This is LaMontagne's best album of the six he's made.

1. A Tribe Called Quest's We got it from Here... Thank You 4 Your service. Release date: Nov. 11. Grade: A-.

What a great surprise. Not only does Tribe to what was truly never expected -- make one more album -- but it works, unquestionably, as a tremendous final statement for the group. The first time you heard the beat get moving on "The Space Program," you got excited. And then within 15 seconds of "We the People..." -- which is an instant classic -- it seemed liked this really might be on the heading toward being a good record. It's a smidge too long (60 minutes) but worth the wait. Q-Tip's touches are great. I've been most eager to keep going back to this record. The guest spots are great (Elton John?! It fits). RIP, Phife Dawg. This deserves a seat at the table with Midnight Marauders and The Low End Theory.

 

2015MusicYearinReview

Records & Riffs -- 2015 Music Year in Review

Download

Play the podcast in the player above, or download the MP3. If you haven't already, be certain to subscribe (and rate!) the pod in iTunes.

i've got a lot of words here, and plenty more to spare in the podcast above, so let's get right to listing out and detailing most of the notable LPs released over the past 12 months.

Critically praised records that didn't click for me

• Beach House's Depression Cherry: A nice approach and good sonic minamlism, but the presentation overall just doesn't do it for me.
• Deerhunter's Fading Frontier: A little perplexed as to how this one cracked the top 15 of a few major-pub lists. "Snakeskin" is quite enjoyable; it should have been the album opener. "All the Same" is sort of a plodding push of a track 1. Overall, this is OK but not too memorable. I'll probably like it more in 2019 than I did in 2015.
• Grimes' Art Angels: Considered a top-five LP by many a review board. The style just doesn't click with me. Artistically, I understand and even enjoy some of what Grimes is doing here, but the delivery and overall context goes past my head. Liked a few of the songs, but the idea that this is an elite 2015 release is something I can't interpret.
• Jamie XX's In Colour: Aurally pleasing enough, but in general I thought this one was a bit overrated on the year-end lists. A nice "listen while you write" album for me, but I have no pull to come back after two listens.
• Joanna Newsom's Divers: Can't get past the voice more than anything, and the arrangements aren't the easiest thing to dig your heels into.
• Titus Andronicus' The Most Lamentable Tragedy: This band's never gonna do it for me. Just one of those things.
• Vince Staples' Summertime '06: Says more about my way-too-pick hip-hop tastes than the offerings of this specific LP.

Disappointments and/or underwhelming releases

• Ben Folds' So There: The tenor tones of the title track are nice, and the orchestral arrangements around the songs work, but overall this isn't one of Folds' memorable efforts. It'll be a nice surprise to revisit on rare occasions, but it's not essential to his canon. Plus, the three concertos that tag the end of the LP seem out of place, even with the rest of the record including elements of the orchestra.
• Built to Spill's Untethered Moon: "On the Way" is a standout track. But overall, not much to this LP that makes me want to head back and listen again. Twice was enough. Read a few times the sentiment that this was BtS's best LP since the '90s. Consider me stumped.
• Coldplay's A Head Full of Dreams: Whatever it was that once inspired Chris Martin and his band to write genuinely good music with guitars, a bass, some piano and drums has seemingly permanently left the coop. I forced myself to listen to the whole thing out of dedication to the Coldplay fan I used to be, the one who still enthusiastically plays Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head. That band is never coming back.
• Gary Clark's The Story of Sonny Boy Slim: Doesn't come close to what was tapped with Blak and Blu.
• The Dead Weather's Dodge and Burn: Only gave it one listen and wasn't even drawn back to try again.
• The Fratellis' Eyes Wide, Tongue Tied: "Me and the Devil" is a pretty good opener; made me think The Fratellis were opting to go an Arctic Monkeys AM route. Some of this LP has a The Gaslight Anthem ethos. The melody to some of the verse from "Thief" sounds like it's one shade removed from "Ghostbusters," by the way. Overall I don't think The Fratellis will ever get close to tapping the well that was their home run debut, Costello Music.
• Muse's Drones: A little too novel in concept, and a lot of it sounds like ideas that should've hit the cutting room floor. "The Handler" is a highlight.

Good efforts but not standouts

• Alabama Shakes' Sound and Color: Title song/album opener is maddeningly short; you probably heard it on that iPad commercial 87 times. The first single, "Don't Wanna Fight," didn't do it for me, but some bass modulation, more muscle and ambition did good for the Shakes' sound. Brittany Howard's delivery on "Gimme All Your Love" is worthy of a Grammy. Overall I did like it but wouldn't say it was a complete sophomore effort.
• Blur's The Magic Whip: The first studio output from Blur in 12 years was a surprise (the thing basically only came to be because of a cancelled music festival that had the band hanging out in Hong Kong for a week) ... and the years away showed. I wanted to like Whip more than I did. You can tell, sometimes, how much you enjoy an album by how often you feel the urge to return to it, and I didn't give Whip more than three spins all the way through. Recorded in Hong Kong, the aesthetic of that city has tinges on the album, but overall the fun of Blur is missing.
• Courtney Barnett's Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit: Definitely an LP that pulls off the nearly impossible task of providing a fresh sound while channeling an ethos from the '90s indie scene. Doing that is what provided the Australian songwriter the chance at cracking the top 20 of so many year-end lists. "Aqua Profunda!" is probably my favorite song on the record. Barnett's off-the-shoulder delivery grabs you, though the lyrics (while good) sometimes get too wordy for their own good. But a fine debut! I think my favorite song title of the year is "Nobody Cares If You Don't Go to the Party."
• Kamasi Washington's The Epic: A triple album of jazz deco (a term I just made up!) that is nearly three hours long. I twice attempted to listen to all of it, but it's such a project that I couldn't make it. Liked some of what I heard. At the same time, I'm kind of gobsmacked a freeform sprawl of a jazz album found itself well-placed on so many year-end lists. I've got no qualm with it, but its inclusion seems conspicuously hivemind-y, as if Washington's association with Kendrick Lamar spurred people to start paying widespread attention to an entire genre of often brillliant music. If more jazz can be included on a year-to-year basis, music reviewers and listeners will be better for it, though, so hopefully this kick-starts a movement.
• Kendrick Lamar's To Pimp a Butterfly: Well, it's a statement album, that's for sure. The overwhelming pick for the best record of 2015 just didn't connect with me in a lot of ways. I will say that "i" is the best song on the record, and "Hood Politics" also hits hard. "Mortal Man" makes for a good closer, but a lot of the spoken word stuff just took me out of the experience. Kendrick's talent is undeniable, and I think he'll have clearer highs than this.
• Ryan Adams' 1989:  Some good parts, some stinkers, like his "Welcome to New York" take. "Style," "All You Had to Do Was Stay" and "I Know Places" were his three best here, I thought. The last one has that plate reverb which balances with the slow romp and bounce of the bass line. Very nice.

Surprisingly good but just short of cracking the final list

• Beach Slang's The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us: An angsty punk record without too much angst or too much punk! This LP really grew on me, and there's an enduring sound here, I think. Most of the songs clock in under 150 seconds, too. For any fan under 25, it doesn't get much more honest than the lyric "The night is alive / It's loud and I'm drunk."
• Carly Rae Jepsen's E•MO•TION: Wouldn't take to listening to Jepsen's stuff, but caved because this was very highly rated by many a critic. After giving it a chance, I can hear why. There are a few earworms, and the production work on the LP is absolutely solid. The hooks aren't totally engrossing, but it's a nice release from Jepsen, who elevated her status with this. The bass work is very nice. Would make for a great late-night album in the late summer/early fall.
• Chris Stapleton's Traveller: Unquestionably honest and a well-rounded debut, as strong an opening effort from any solo artist as we heard in 2015. His genre doesn't bring me in, but Stapleton's going to be a mega star in the country world over the next few years. Traveller isn't true country. It's slow-boiled dirty folk blues. "Tennessee Whiskey" and "Might As Well Get Stoned" are standouts; the latter made me triple-take and make sure Chris Cornell wasn't providing backup throat-scream harmonies. The phaser+vibrato guitar tone that's used on "Was It 26" is a great choice, and that's my pick for the record's best song. Stapleton's LP closer, "Sometimes I Cry," is one of the best vocal performances from 2015 -- I can't tell if it's a live cut or not, but it's impressive nonetheless.
• Galactic's Into the Deep: Not a classic effort, but more than two decades in, Galactic still is bringing enjoyable beats and a great sound that fuses New Orleans neofunk with modern hip-hop and structured jazz stylings. I would put it in my top 20.
• Kurt Vile's b'lieve i'm goin down: "Pretty Pimpin" is one of my favorite side 1, tracks 1 from 2015. And by the time "Dust Bunnies" was 30 seconds in, I knew this was my favorite Vile record yet. It's not a burner and it's not one you'll want to put on every week, but Vile's voice is emerging as one of the most distinct of this era. "Lost My Head There" is also one that will keep bringing you back.
• Miguel's Wildheart: I love when you have this anticipation for a record -- without knowing at all what it will truly sound like -- and then you hit that first track and it completely catches you off-guard. That's what Miguel's "a beautiful exit" was like. "waves" is my favorite off this record. the standouts are strong enough to keep this one in the music library. Also seek out " ...goingtohell."
• The Dear Hunter's Act IV: Rebirth and Reprise: Any The Dear Hunter album is a full on adventure and experience. They can bring in orchestral elements and then blend them with hard rock — and make it work. The sound and style is not for everyone, but in terms of songwriting arrangement, what The Dear Hunter has been pulling off for years is among the more daring attempts at beautifully bloated harmony that often wins me over. And often enough, this outfit conquers more genres in one record than most others do in a career. Power pop, hard metal, piano waltzes and simple folk. Few bands can turn on a dime and switch a song’s key with deliberate ease like these guys. The drop to a minor chord, and then a diminished chord, like what happens in “Is There Anybody Here?” is at the spirtual center of this group’s strengths. Then the guitar solo comes, and the band is swirling behind it, and you get a peak at what modern baroque rock music can be. Casey Crescendo has one of the more underrated power voices in modern rock music, too. This album is too stuffed, like all The Dear Hunter LPs, but get lost and enjoy the effort. “The Line” is a standout

And finally, my favorite albums of 2015

14. Modest Mouse's Strangers to Ourselves. Release date: March 16. Grade: B-.

The latest contradictory album title from one of the most distinct modern alt rock bands out there took eight years to follow up from Modest Mouse's previous studio LP. And while it's got some filler, it's hard for a real fans to dispute the effort here. I don't know if it was worth the wait, but it's an improvement on 2007's We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. "The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box" is the standout track, and one of my favorite songs of the year, while "Lampshades on Fire" was a strong debut single. "Coyotes" and "The Best Room" are also pretty nice. The differences between the strong stuff and the fermenting ideas are stark here; Modest Mouse put this record out while laying down enough material for a double album. You can tell some editing was still needed.

13. Eagles of Death Metal's Zipper Down. Release date: October 2. Grade: B.

"You didn't want to scratch but then you got the itch" is the opening line of "Complexity," which is the first track on Zipper Down, and it encapsulates my sudden curiosity with this band. Tell me, where should I go next? I don't know what "The Deuce" is, but I now know it can definitely boogie. Was unfamiliar with the "Save a Prayer" Duran Duran song, which is covered on the penultimate track, but it's floaty fuzzy sound is nice take. Also great to see how Duran Duran took to EODM's side in the wake of the Paris attacks and helped raise a lot of money for charity.

12. Sufjan Stevens' Carrie and Lowell. Release date: March 31. Grade: B.

Nick Drake for the modern era. Stevens has a certain sound, sticks to it, and never lets you down in that regard. The lyrical effort here is totally heartbreaking. This is his second best LP, to my ears. You'll need to be in the right mood to listen, but when the mood comes, this album is as fulfilling as any others listed in this post. Song to check out: "Death With Dignity," which opens the album.

11. Jason Isbell's Something More Than Free. Release date: July 17. Grade: B.

"Children of Children" the standout. "Palmetto Rose" is sneakily maybe the second best song on the LP. A fine follow-up to Southeastern, but falls a little short of that record's depth. Still, I think I like listening to this LP more. The production is very nice, some country grit guitar roughens the edges of Isbell's still-maturing voice, and i mean that both physically and philosophically. 

10. The Weeknd's Beauty Behind the Madness. Release date: August 28. Grade: B+.

OK, it seems like this one's actually become underrated, right? The massive success of "Can't Feel My Face" could be overshadowing the consistency of this record. "In the Night" is probably the best song here, while "Often," "Earned It" and "Prisoner" are great examples of modern R&B that extends the genre. At first I thought this record might have hit me at hte right time, but having gone back for a few more listens, no, this is definitely among my favorites. Big surprise on my end.

9. Wilco's Star Wars. Release date: July 16. Grade: B+.

I'm a weirdo: Most of Wilco's discography just does not do it for me, but Star Wars' predecessor, 2011's The Whole Love, and this surprising release made the band finally click for me. I don't love every track, and in truth I had to go back and really listen to connect song titles to certain tunes, but overall this is just an enjoyable stoner basement rock record. It feels like it was the most carefree and "simple" album Wilco's ever done. Wonder how the hardcore sect feels about this one. Give "Cold Slope" a listen right now.

8. Chvrches' Every Open Eye. Release date: September 25. Grade: B+.

A small step forward -- meaning it's a damn good record, still -- for one of the best new neopop acts out there. This was my favorite 2015 LP to pop on when going for a run. To be honest, Chvrches do what they do so well, I wouldn't mind if their next three records were basically variations on their first two outputs. Lead singer Lauren Mayberry has a voice that pierces beautifully. The three strongest tracks, for me: "Never Ending Circles," "Clearest Blue" and "Empty Threat."

7. Guster's Evermotion. Release date: January 13. Grade: B+.

Just don't get how an altpop act two decades into its career can put out an LP this solid and hardly get any recognition for it. Evermotion isn't even in the top three for Guster's discography, but it's better (to my ears) than a lot of the stuff that gets groupthink inclusion near the back end of year-end lists. Go ahead and give this one a full spin. My favorites are "Lazy Love," "Long Night," "Doin' It By Myself" and "Gangway." Guster still has plenty left in the tank.

6. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds' Chasing Yesterday. Release date: February 25. Grade: B+.

This wasn't the straight rocker I was expecting -- and what a stimulating listen Chasing Yesterday became because of that. It's packed yet spacy, cozy but has a lot of room to groove. The bass licks on this record are some of the best you'll hear amongst any of the other records listed. Give "The Right Stuff" a listen if you think I'm wrong. "Riverman" is an epic opener, and "The Dying of the Light" is one of the 20 or so best songs Noel's ever written. The thick, reverby sound hear is great, and it gives way to some nimble mood work with minor chords and the like, but I will say I wasn't a huge fan overall of the mix of the record. The vocals were too buried, and the drum sound could've brought more oomph. Still: really good, and if you like Oasis, you'll like this distant cousin of a sound.

5. Best Coast's California Nights. Release date: May 5. Grade: B+.

Well, this was the biggest shocker to me. I did not expect to enjoy this record as much as I did. The title track is among my 10 favorite songs of the year. The lyrical content on the record is as basic/entry-level as you can get, but the structure and soul of the songs are so good. Great summer record. And I'm sucker for booming toms on prechoruses. Seriously: listen to the title track now. Then hit up "Heaven Sent" and "Feeling Ok."

4. The Decemberists' What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World. Release date: January 20. Grade: A-.

Criminally overlooked. Remember when this band was a critical darling? If that's still the case, this output was an outlier, because the group got little love for what I thought was an album on par with 2011's "The King is Dead." I knew it would be on my year-end list from the first listen. "Easy Come, Easy Go," "Calvary Captain" and "Til the Water's Long Gone" offer up some of the best of what this band has evolved to.

3. My Morning Jacket's The Waterfall. Release date: Grade: A-.

I knew they'd done good again from the moment I got to the first chorus of "Believe (Nobody Knows)." MMJ has become one of the best American rock bands of the past 15 years, and it's unfortunately fitting that modern music is emblematic of that fact in that they're not super rockstars. They should, but they live as a huge entity in their own tiny corner of the music world. If this was 1977 and they were writing songs like this, they'd be one of the five biggest bands in America.

2. Father John Misty's I Love You, Honeybear. Release date: Grade: A-.

You ready for these song titles? "Nothing Good Ever Happens at the Goddamn Thirsty Crow," "Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins)," "Holy Shit" and the ever-inspiring "I Went to the Store One Day." Highly ranked on a lot of year-end lists, I Love You, Honeybear lacks a truly great song but is filled front to back with a lot of really good ones. The facade Josh Tillman's put on in this odd meta art project is working; the music sounds lovely, and that matters most. Tillman took a gamble when he left Fleet Foxes, but his career is arguably rivaling his former band's still-acclaimed run. (Can't wait for the Foxes' 2016 output.)

1. Tame Impala's Currents. Release date: Grade: A.

A complete listening experience, a terrific showing from bandleader/songwriter Kevin Parker. This is the whole album, and from the stellar opener "Let It Happen" all the way through the "New Person, Same Old Mistakes," Parker's penned a great breakup record that increases the heartbeat, works the mind and moves the body. It's got elements from the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and 2000s. People trying to pretend this isn't one of the best releases of 2015: I don't get you. Toss on some cans, give Currents a spin and listen to the latest incarnation of popular alternative rock.

And so, on to 2016!

 

The one and only. Jimi. (Getty Images)

The epic conclusion to the first season of the Records & Riffs podcast is a self-indulgent and entirely enthusiastic 90-minute examination into some of the best mainstream guitarists in music history. What makes/made them great, who are the underrated would-be gods, who are the best guys going under 40, etc. Jimi, Jimmy, Stevie, Eddie, Angus, Duane, Mayer, Gilmour, Berry, Beck, Rhoads, Neil and more.

This episode is for the gearheads and historians alike.  Plus: What happened to the guitar solo? Is it gone for good? Is that a good thing. Yahoo Sports' Jay Busbee -- who is as knowledgeable and enthusiastic on this topic as anyone -- joins me for a triple album-length gabfest on why we'll always love the power of the guitar.

Subscribe here to Records & Riffs on iTunes.

recordsandriffs0113guitargods

Records & Riffs: Guitar Gods

Download

Robert Sledge (left), Darren Jessee (middle) and Ben Folds. The band in 1995, two years before they would hit it big with "Brick." (Getty Images)

How could a band that came to be in the heart of the 1990s alt-rock spell find a footing and a following without a guitar player? That's what Ben Folds Five did, and the band's reputation continues to remain in good standing despite just one album released from the group in the past 15 years.

[Subscribe on iTunes to Records & Riffs here]

Folds himself has put out plenty of music, much of it esteemed. Chip Patterson, sportswriter at CBS Sports and a Ben Folds Five freak, joins host Matt Norlander to gab about a group that still clearly has plenty left to say. Darren Jessee, Robert Sledge and Ben. Let the trio play on. Ben Folds Five fans are proudly anti-emo but geeky in their own right at the same time. For those of y'all that wear fannypacks: come on. Give it a listen.

recordsandriffs0112benfoldsfive

Records and Riffs: Ben Folds Five

Download

Real Estate has become one of the most consistently enjoyable indie rockpop acts of the past half-decade. (Getty Images)

Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes.

What is it about certain bands' sounds that make them stand out? Is it luck? Timing? Some of that, but songwriting and sonic conviction is also key. Few indie rock acts over the past 15 years have had as strong a three-record showing to start a career as Real Estate.

Martin Courtney is the primary songwriter and vocalist for the band. He joins the pod to discuss how the group formed, how he writes and approaches the band's sound, and how he stumbled into a solo record (which is good in its own right). Also, there's that name. Kind of a boring name, but the story on it dates back to a dinner with his parents.

In terms of the band's output, any of their LPs are good to star with. Atlas is probably the strongest, but all three are worth including in your collection.

recordsandriffs0111realestate

Records & Riffs: Talking Real Estate -- with Real Estate!

Download

You probably don't know who these men are. Yet chances are you've heard dozens of the mainstream American music hits they've written over the past decade. Mikkel Eriksen, left, and Tor Hermansen. (Getty Images)

What makes a good pop song, and has the value of a good pop song changed? In many ways, yes. Has the "soul" of a song been altered in a new landscape for music-making and music listening? Absolutely. Tom Junod is an award-winning writer-at-large for Esquire, and he's the guest on this episode. Junod has laments, theories, questions and frustrations over the current state of what makes it to modern radio and how the process has reach a saturation point. Popular music has never been more widely retrievable and yet at the same time never been this seemingly disposable. How did we get here, and what's coming in the next decade?

[Get every episode on your phone the instant it's released. Subscribe in iTunes.]

This is the article from The Atlantic that is referenced on this episode, and this is the book that in part sparked this podcast episode to life.

On the podcast, I mention a great interview given by Noel Gallagher about writing songs, ("write a fucking chorus") and how good the whole thing is. You can watch that right here.

As for Junod's work, three recommendations to start with.

• The Falling Man
• Michael Stipe Has Great Hair
• My Father's Fashion Tips

recordsandriffs0110popmusic

Records & Riffs: The State of Pop Music in 2015

Download

David Bowie: Somehow becoming the most underrated solo artist in history? Maybe. (Getty Images)

All told, David Bowie is probably one of the three most important and influential solo artists to come out of the 1970s. That's the premise of the ninth episode from season one of the Records & Riffs podcast. The guest? Bomani Jones, most known for his comprehensive commentary on sports, is also well-versed in many a music topic. His opinions strike a spectrum of emotions in readers, listeners to his radio show, his litany of Twitter followers and hate-followers, but Jones is undeniably qualified to gab on music and to do it for long periods at a time.

[Listen to the R&R podcast whenever. Subscribe here.]

In Bowie, Bomani details what made his work vital, how he is singular in the world of music, and what records are the go-tos. Never gotten into Bowie's stuff? We understand why that might be, but this podcast details exactly why you should give it a closer listen. There are many phases to Bowie, and chances are at least one of his 26 studio LPs will find its way to an enjoyable cul-de-sac in your brain. With Bowie, the appreciation seems to be waning just a bit, so listen and acquaint yourself with the strange and aesthetic world that is the music of Bowie.

recordsandriffs0109davidbowie

Records & Riffs: David Bowie

Download

Phish has an intimidating catalog of live material, but we also help with pointing you to the best studio output. (Getty Images)

It's the perfect podcast episode about Phish. Enough information and minutiae to appease the diehards, but plenty of primers for casual and newbie Phish fans. The band has finally graduated to a level of no longer being a pop culture joke. This is a group that's become one of America's most successful touring acts of all time, and somehow the band has survived a serious hiatus to improve its music and live shows to a level never thought attainable before. In many ways, what Phish is doing now -- love or hate their music -- is unprecedented. Floppy-haired fanboi Will Brinson, CBS Sports colleague of host Matt Norlander, joins the podcast to dish on Phish. 

And remember: be sure to get all the episodes on your phone or tablet by subscribing.

recordsandriffs0108phish

Record & Riffs: Phish

Download

Umphrey's McGee bassist Ryan Stasik joins the pod. Seen above at Bonnaroo in 2014.  (Getty Images)

Go ahead and do the research: You'll discover few, if any, rock acts out there today are as multifaceted, talented, nimble and forward-leaning as Umphrey's McGee. The band has an EXTREMELY dedicated hardcore fan base. Band bassist Ryan Stasik joins the pod to discuss all things Umph, including his hate for the band's name, and how it came to be. Stasik details how the band practices, how it trusts each other on stage and how no one is allowed to say "no," and goes into a lot of details about Umph that even the diehards might not be aware of.

Like this podcast? Want to hear more interviews with musicians? Subscribe now.

recordsandriffs0107umphreysstasik

Records and Riffs: Talking Umphrey's McGee -- with Umphrey's McGee!

Download