WKMS Program Director and host of Sounds Good and Beyond the Edge Tracy Ross presents his list of top ten albums of 2015 in alphabetical order. Hear selections from these albums and many others his best of the year mix Saturday, December 26 at 8 p.m. on Beyond the Edge.
Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
A Strangely wonderful mixture of Dylan and Nirvana. Barnett is an old soul poet stuck in the body of a twenty something Australian woman. "An Illustration of Loneliness (Sleepless in New York)"
https://youtu.be/Q9JgAbY_HAw","_id":"00000179-ebc0-d7ee-a97b-ebe19eaa0000","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/Q9JgAbY_HAw">https://youtu.be/Q9JgAbY_HAw","_id":"00000179-ebc0-d7ee-a97b-ebe19eaa0000","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/Q9JgAbY_HAw
Built To Spill - Untethered Moon
Indie rock legends release one of their best records almost a quarter of a century into their career. Leader Doug Martsch is one of the greatest rock guitarists on the planet. "Never Be The Same"
https://youtu.be/wb7mCHYIkH8","_id":"00000179-ebc0-d7ee-a97b-ebe19eaa0002","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/wb7mCHYIkH8">https://youtu.be/wb7mCHYIkH8","_id":"00000179-ebc0-d7ee-a97b-ebe19eaa0002","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/wb7mCHYIkH8
Deerhunter - Fading Frontier
Georgia noise rockers discover Americana on their fifth full-length; gauzy psych pop ensues. "Snakeskin"
https://youtu.be/CG6jk5Q90DA","_id":"00000179-ebc0-d7ee-a97b-ebe19eab0001","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/CG6jk5Q90DA">https://youtu.be/CG6jk5Q90DA","_id":"00000179-ebc0-d7ee-a97b-ebe19eab0001","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/CG6jk5Q90DA
The Mountain Goats - Beat The Champ
The best professional wrestling concept album released this or any other year. "Foreign Object"
Jim O'Rourke - Simple Songs
Longtime producer and onetime Sonic Youth member surprisingly channels Harry Nilsson and Randy Newman on this understated beauty. "Friends With Benefits"
Natalie Prass - Self-Titled
Part torch song crooner, part Disney princess, Prass has made a record that sounds completely out of time. "My Baby Don't Understand Me"
https://youtu.be/1BWVOQ4Z","_id":"00000179-ebc0-d7ee-a97b-ebe19eab0003","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/1BWVOQ4Z-n8">https://youtu.be/1BWVOQ4Z","_id":"00000179-ebc0-d7ee-a97b-ebe19eab0003","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/1BWVOQ4Z-n8
Sleater-Kinney - No Cities To Love
The legendary power trio returns after a near decade long hiatus without missing a beat. "Bury Our Friends"
https://youtu.be/v6thsrNE7p4","_id":"00000179-ebc0-d7ee-a97b-ebe19eab0005","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/v6thsrNE7p4">https://youtu.be/v6thsrNE7p4","_id":"00000179-ebc0-d7ee-a97b-ebe19eab0005","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/v6thsrNE7p4
Tenement - Predatory Headlights
This year's model of snotty pop-punkers remember to bring the song-craft on this surprisingly polished opus. "Feral Cat Tribe"
Kurt Vile - b'lievei'mgoin down...
Vile's music worms its way into your brain. His lyrics are often nonsensical, and completely unnecessary once he locks into a groove. "I'm An Outlaw"
https://youtu.be/kmUndmDgNEU","_id":"00000179-ebc0-d7ee-a97b-ebe19eab0007","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/kmUndmDgNEU">https://youtu.be/kmUndmDgNEU","_id":"00000179-ebc0-d7ee-a97b-ebe19eab0007","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/kmUndmDgNEU
Waxahatchee - Ivy Tripp
Hits the same sweet spot as peak era Sleater-Kinney, but the songs are more personal and the lyrics may be even better. "Under A Rock"
https://youtu.be/ZNJOUIA_rDI","_id":"00000179-ebc0-d7ee-a97b-ebe19eab0009","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/ZNJOUIA_rDI">https://youtu.be/ZNJOUIA_rDI","_id":"00000179-ebc0-d7ee-a97b-ebe19eab0009","_type":"035d81d3-5be2-3ed2-bc8a-6da208e0d9e2"}">https://youtu.be/ZNJOUIA_rDI
