A couple notes:
I was not able to listen to a bunch of music like I normally do, and not for lack of wanting. I wasn't slacking. I was just working a lot. Probably over-working. Beside that, if year one of a marriage is a shake-up, then it's even more ambiguating than puberty. Not in a bad way.
You will find mostly math rock here. That's because my wife listens to a lot of math rock, and the majority of what she sends to me is math rock. I do listen to songs with lyrics, but it's draining to listen to emotional music and I'm not the sixteen-year-old I once was. I prefer to let most music speak for itself.
This is in no particular order, but if I had to say one of these was my favorite, it would be the latest ASIWYFA release, Heirs. A close second (or maybe first on other days), would be toe's release Hear You. These were probably the best acts I saw this year, and both of them are from overseas. I hope toe comes back to America soon. It's not fair that Japan gets them all the time.
Still up for debate: how to pronounce 'toe'. Is it "toh" like your little toe? Or is it "to-eh" like "I wish I could read Japanese and find out how they write it out"?
This is nowhere close to-eh resolution, but I will probably try listening toh more music in 2016.
Anyway, that's enough about me. Let me tell you more about me through my favorite music releases this year, along with whether or not I saw them in 2015, and a one-sentence description of the album.
Oh, and here's the playlist:
Toe - Hear You - and I saw them live.
Syncopation at its Japanese finest, like listening to a jam band's collective dream.
And So I Watch You From Afar - Heirs - and I saw them live.
Quiet moments and raucous crescendo.
The Oh Hellos - Dear Wormwood - and I saw them live.
Eschatological poetry put to the sympathies of folk-indie rock.
Grinstead - Hymns
A good and varied example of how to make old hymns taste good to newer ears.
mewithoutYou - Pale Horses - and I saw them live.
The simultaneously resolved and resigned spoken word-indie rock with one part maturity, two parts poetry, and two parts gray hair.
El Ten Eleven - Fast Forward - and I think I saw them live this year. But I don't remember. I've seen them a whole bunch.
Two-piece work of wonder, with an injection of EDM sensibilities multiplied by chillwave.
Between The Buried And Me - Coma Ecliptic - and I saw them live.
Progressive Metalcore.
Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
Trans-Episcopalian anti-folk.
And here are my favorite bands I saw live this year. The State of California should thank me for all the tolls I paid going across their silly bridges. (about 50% of these were in San Francisco. Probably 25% of these bands played at Bottom Of The Hill).
BTBAM
Animals As Leaders
Toe
Eisley
ASIWYFA
mewithoutYou
Mylets
Pinback (Thanks guys for the music)
Mae (Everglow 10-year Anniversary!!)
Dustin Kensrue
The Oh Hellos
MuteMath (finally)
