The editors of Mix Grill locked themselves into their rooms and spent hours listening to the albums of 2015. The outcome is the following list that includes references to many musical genres and reveals our affection to music.
Let's see the albums from 50 down to 11:
50. Motorhead - Bad Magic
49. Bob Dylan - Shadows In The Night
48. Editors - In Dream
47. Stella - Stella
46. Viet Cong - Viet Cong
45. FFS - FFS
44. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress
43. Paradise Lost - The Plague Within
42. Ought - Sun Coming Down
41. Adele - 25
40. Monophonics - Sound Of Sinning
39. Faith No More - Sol Invictus
38. Public Service Broadcasting - The Race For Space
37. Will Butler - Policy
36. Chvrches - Every Open Eye
35. The Chemical Brothers - Born In The Echoes
34. Django Django - Born Under Saturn
33. Muse - Drones
32. Hot Chip - Why Make Sense?
31. The Dead Weather - Dodge And Burn
30. The Charlatans - Modern Nature
29. Modest Mouse - Strangers To Ourselves
28. The Libertines - Anthems For Doomed Youth
27. Ghost - Meliora
26. The Arcs - Yours Dreamily
25. Deerhunter - Fading Frontier
24. Calexico - Edge Of The Sun
23. Shamir - Ratchet
22. My Dying Bride - Feel The Misery
21. Grimes - Art Angels
20. Protomartyr - The Agent Intellect
19. Leon Bridges - Coming Home
18. Beach House - Depression Cherry
17. Sleater-Kinney - No Cities To Love
16. Belle & Sebastian - Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance
15. The Souljazz Orchestra - Resistance
14. Iron Maiden - The Book Of Souls
13. Foals - What Went Down
12. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
11. Wolf Alice - My Love Is Cool
The first 10 albums of 2015 for Mix Grill are the following:
10. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly
There is a lot that you can say about this year's masterpiece of Kendrick Lamar. For example, you can talk about the Babel of music and audio references, which are masterfully combined. Or you can admire the lyrical prowess and insightful look of K-Dot, the open-minded and multi-angle perspective. However, you should not forget the key element that makes this album important: the juncture. In a period when in America and in the world the dark face of oppression returns, a socio-political manifesto that arrives riding the zeitgeist can only have much to teach us.
[Michalis Tsantilas]
9. Julia Holter - Have You In My Wilderness
Julia Holter began her music career with two special albums of experimental art-pop she recorded alone in her room. Having already from her previous disk, the wonderful "Loud City Song" of 2013, the help of other musicians and the comforts of a modern studio at her disposal, the artist from California offers us richer compositions that uniquely combine elements of classical composition, orchestral pop, experimental electronic music and jazz. "Have You In My Wilderness" is another great creation from Julia Holter who manages what is perhaps the most difficult for a musician of this decade: to sound original and authentic, without bending from the weight of her influences.
[Odysseas Pavlou]
8. Florence & The Machine - How Big How Blue How Beautiful
The instrumentations in this album are rich in dynamic parts, but rich into their simplicity in calmer tracks, as well, based each time on different instruments. Sometimes on guitars, sometimes on brasses, and sometimes on percussion. But what stands out in all the tracks is the vocals, not only Florence's, but also the backing.
It is difficult and risky to open up and generously give yourself to so many people. I think that Florence has reached this point and the result is just great.
[Anna Papadaki]
7. New Order - Music Complete
In this album everything works perfect. New Order, without Peter Hook, but with Gillian, have done it successfully in the past, and do it in 2015 so unexpectedly. Sometimes towards disco directions with touches of Giorgio Moroder, sometimes towards more dance rock directions and sometimes playing with their keyboards and less with their guitars. "Music Complete" is a masterpiece. It may be excessive, but it is such the enthusiasm for a band with the past of New Order and the peaks they have offered.
[Dimitris Kampoyris]
6. Alabama Shakes - Sound And Color
After the great success of "Boys & Girls" in 2012, the second album of Alabama Shakes was one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Their main feature is the excellent voice and interpretation of Brittany Howard, who also plays guitar in most of the tracks. This is the only common reference of the two disks. While the first was full of elements of the music of the American south, soul and a dose of nostalgia, "Sound And Color" is a brave step, almost blindly, in a different direction with a few psychedelic, funk, and even punk moments.
[Dimitris Orlis]
5. Benjamin Clementine - At Least For Now
"At Least For Now" is certainly one of the most interesting albums of the year. I do not know if it's the best of all I have heard so far (comparing with which terms?), but it is certainly a breath after the boring and musically uninspiring 2014 and I am pretty sure that this is a reference album for 2015.
Everything is based on the piano so harmonically, that even if you're not an expert, you understand the difference. You feel that here you 're dealing with something special.
[Dimitris Kampoyris]
4. Jamie Xx - In Colour
I wonder if there is anyone who listened to this album and then did not think that everything else is just noise. An album with diversity, special collaborations and diverse reference points. The harmonic musical transitions between the tracks add a sense of vitality and energy conscious, and allow the listener to perceive the almost cinematic evolution of the album. One of the albums of the year and for good reason.
[Paraskevi Toma]
3. Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
After several years of concerts and the release of three EPs, it was about time for the young songwriter from Melbourne to release her first album. At last! Her lyrical flair was obvious and could not be ignored, even if it is still rather raw. In this album she appears much more ready than most newcomers, singing stories inspired from the simplest things of everyday life. But she is not alone, because the musicians who accompany her, especially Dave Mudie on drums, often assist her stories to emerge.
[Dimitris Orlis]
2. Blur - The Magic Whip
The basis of "The Magic Whip" is certainly Blur's past, either as a band or the solo projects of its members. Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon remained active and productive the years that followed Blur's hiatus. The synthesis of the experimentation of these two musicians, together with the bonding and the experience of Alex James and Dave Rowntree, contributed to the final result, which in my opinion looks at the present, and possibly at the future.
[Giorgos Baliotis]
1. Tame Impala – Currents
Tame Impala released the most mainstream and best album of their career. With their third step the Australians experienced the acceptance they deserved and are fairly included in the best lists of the most music magazines and sites. "Currents" is a paradigm of impeccable psychedelic pop, with dominating synths in dance forms that occasionally flirt with the 90's. Besides the song of the year 'Let it Happen', we can also find here 'Cause I'm a Man', 'Eventually' and 'Disciples'.
[Leonidas Kalmoukos]
Let's see the albums from 50 down to 11:
50. Motorhead - Bad Magic
49. Bob Dylan - Shadows In The Night
48. Editors - In Dream
47. Stella - Stella
46. Viet Cong - Viet Cong
45. FFS - FFS
44. Godspeed You! Black Emperor - Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress
43. Paradise Lost - The Plague Within
42. Ought - Sun Coming Down
41. Adele - 25
40. Monophonics - Sound Of Sinning
39. Faith No More - Sol Invictus
38. Public Service Broadcasting - The Race For Space
37. Will Butler - Policy
36. Chvrches - Every Open Eye
35. The Chemical Brothers - Born In The Echoes
34. Django Django - Born Under Saturn
33. Muse - Drones
32. Hot Chip - Why Make Sense?
31. The Dead Weather - Dodge And Burn
30. The Charlatans - Modern Nature
29. Modest Mouse - Strangers To Ourselves
28. The Libertines - Anthems For Doomed Youth
27. Ghost - Meliora
26. The Arcs - Yours Dreamily
25. Deerhunter - Fading Frontier
24. Calexico - Edge Of The Sun
23. Shamir - Ratchet
22. My Dying Bride - Feel The Misery
21. Grimes - Art Angels
20. Protomartyr - The Agent Intellect
19. Leon Bridges - Coming Home
18. Beach House - Depression Cherry
17. Sleater-Kinney - No Cities To Love
16. Belle & Sebastian - Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance
15. The Souljazz Orchestra - Resistance
14. Iron Maiden - The Book Of Souls
13. Foals - What Went Down
12. Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell
11. Wolf Alice - My Love Is Cool
The first 10 albums of 2015 for Mix Grill are the following:
10. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp A Butterfly
There is a lot that you can say about this year's masterpiece of Kendrick Lamar. For example, you can talk about the Babel of music and audio references, which are masterfully combined. Or you can admire the lyrical prowess and insightful look of K-Dot, the open-minded and multi-angle perspective. However, you should not forget the key element that makes this album important: the juncture. In a period when in America and in the world the dark face of oppression returns, a socio-political manifesto that arrives riding the zeitgeist can only have much to teach us.
[Michalis Tsantilas]
9. Julia Holter - Have You In My Wilderness
Julia Holter began her music career with two special albums of experimental art-pop she recorded alone in her room. Having already from her previous disk, the wonderful "Loud City Song" of 2013, the help of other musicians and the comforts of a modern studio at her disposal, the artist from California offers us richer compositions that uniquely combine elements of classical composition, orchestral pop, experimental electronic music and jazz. "Have You In My Wilderness" is another great creation from Julia Holter who manages what is perhaps the most difficult for a musician of this decade: to sound original and authentic, without bending from the weight of her influences.
[Odysseas Pavlou]
8. Florence & The Machine - How Big How Blue How Beautiful
The instrumentations in this album are rich in dynamic parts, but rich into their simplicity in calmer tracks, as well, based each time on different instruments. Sometimes on guitars, sometimes on brasses, and sometimes on percussion. But what stands out in all the tracks is the vocals, not only Florence's, but also the backing.
It is difficult and risky to open up and generously give yourself to so many people. I think that Florence has reached this point and the result is just great.
[Anna Papadaki]
7. New Order - Music Complete
In this album everything works perfect. New Order, without Peter Hook, but with Gillian, have done it successfully in the past, and do it in 2015 so unexpectedly. Sometimes towards disco directions with touches of Giorgio Moroder, sometimes towards more dance rock directions and sometimes playing with their keyboards and less with their guitars. "Music Complete" is a masterpiece. It may be excessive, but it is such the enthusiasm for a band with the past of New Order and the peaks they have offered.
[Dimitris Kampoyris]
6. Alabama Shakes - Sound And Color
After the great success of "Boys & Girls" in 2012, the second album of Alabama Shakes was one of the most anticipated releases of the year. Their main feature is the excellent voice and interpretation of Brittany Howard, who also plays guitar in most of the tracks. This is the only common reference of the two disks. While the first was full of elements of the music of the American south, soul and a dose of nostalgia, "Sound And Color" is a brave step, almost blindly, in a different direction with a few psychedelic, funk, and even punk moments.
[Dimitris Orlis]
5. Benjamin Clementine - At Least For Now
"At Least For Now" is certainly one of the most interesting albums of the year. I do not know if it's the best of all I have heard so far (comparing with which terms?), but it is certainly a breath after the boring and musically uninspiring 2014 and I am pretty sure that this is a reference album for 2015.
Everything is based on the piano so harmonically, that even if you're not an expert, you understand the difference. You feel that here you 're dealing with something special.
[Dimitris Kampoyris]
4. Jamie Xx - In Colour
I wonder if there is anyone who listened to this album and then did not think that everything else is just noise. An album with diversity, special collaborations and diverse reference points. The harmonic musical transitions between the tracks add a sense of vitality and energy conscious, and allow the listener to perceive the almost cinematic evolution of the album. One of the albums of the year and for good reason.
[Paraskevi Toma]
3. Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit
After several years of concerts and the release of three EPs, it was about time for the young songwriter from Melbourne to release her first album. At last! Her lyrical flair was obvious and could not be ignored, even if it is still rather raw. In this album she appears much more ready than most newcomers, singing stories inspired from the simplest things of everyday life. But she is not alone, because the musicians who accompany her, especially Dave Mudie on drums, often assist her stories to emerge.
[Dimitris Orlis]
2. Blur - The Magic Whip
The basis of "The Magic Whip" is certainly Blur's past, either as a band or the solo projects of its members. Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon remained active and productive the years that followed Blur's hiatus. The synthesis of the experimentation of these two musicians, together with the bonding and the experience of Alex James and Dave Rowntree, contributed to the final result, which in my opinion looks at the present, and possibly at the future.
[Giorgos Baliotis]
1. Tame Impala – Currents
Tame Impala released the most mainstream and best album of their career. With their third step the Australians experienced the acceptance they deserved and are fairly included in the best lists of the most music magazines and sites. "Currents" is a paradigm of impeccable psychedelic pop, with dominating synths in dance forms that occasionally flirt with the 90's. Besides the song of the year 'Let it Happen', we can also find here 'Cause I'm a Man', 'Eventually' and 'Disciples'.
[Leonidas Kalmoukos]
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