Fall/2014
I was a few months away from turning 30 and the music I was listening to was the same shit I liked in high school. I realized I was completely out of touch it bummed me out. So instead of cowering under my tangible album sleeves of yesteryear, I ventured into the deep, dark, digital seas of Spotify. My life would never be the same.
I quickly became addicted to finding new artists. I was driven to find great musicians I had never listened to, mark them down and move on to the next great find. Discovering music I could sit and listen to didn’t interest me at the time. I just wanted to fill a new roster. If I did this for a year, eventually I would have a renovated library of music I could enjoy more than ever before. My theory worked out WAY better than I expected.
By the end of 2015, I had a playlist of 400 songs that was cut down to 125 songs by 125 different artists. These aren't songs that debutedin 2015 but songs I discovered in 2015. On the playlist are some new jams from old favs but mostly artists who have become my new obsession. It all started off when I fell in love with Natalia Kills which lead me to Willy Moon, Charli XCX and Marina and the Diamonds and eventually Tove Lo, Sky Ferreira, Dragonette, Ladyhawke, Boom! Bap! Pow!, Gin Wigmore, Elle King, Royal Headache and Amanda Blank. I devoured all of their albums and felt renewed as a person. And that’s just 13 artists of the 125 on my playlist! I haven’t even looked into discographies of most of the 125 artists!
Half way through the year, I realized my little hobby was actually turning into a solid piece of playlisting. Since then, I’ve been preparing this page. A lot of my friends and family ask me for music recommendations and now I can just send them this link. But I made this mostly as a little musical yearbook. This was the soundtrack to my life this year through the ups and downs. I can’t wait to revisit this page for years to come.
So that’s why I’ve collected so much shit. Below you will find The 2015 Playlist, my 15 Favorite Albums of the Year, my Spotify "Year in Review" information, and a YouTube playlist of all the 2015 songs that have music videos. This single page provides hours of entertainment.
I love it. I hope you do too xoxo
-Jimmy
#1
Charli XCX
"Sucker"
I grew up listening to punk rock and Britney Spears. The two scenes never mixed. Charli XCX mixed the two genres and created a masterpiece. This girl is a true rockstar. A brilliant, loose cannon, party animal, songwriting prodigy superbabe. I want to be her when I grow up.
#2
Marina and the Diamonds
"Electra Heart"
I discovered Marina and the Diamonds this summer so picking between one of three perfect albums was no easy choice. Marina’s eccentric personality bleeds from Family Jewels and Froot is a sophisticated step forward. Electra Heart is that awesome stepping stone in between. This is a pop record perfectly executed.
#3
Natalia Kills
"Trouble"
This was the album that started it all. According to Spotify, I streamed this album 760 times which is twice a day for an entire year (and I haven’t listened to it in months). Not only has Natalia Kills (now known as Teddy Sinclair) had the most fascinating life you could ever imagine, she knows how to perfectly illustrate that life with her heartbreakingly personal lyrics.
#4
Kacey Musgraves
"Pageant Material"
As Annie once tweeted “Kacey Musgraves is a gift from God.” It’s the truth. She may be the greatest songwriter of her generation. When you listen to her music, you can tell every single note and lyric were polished until perfection. It doesn’t hurt she could probably be a supermodel. But thanks to her title track, we know why she isn’t a supermodel.
#5
Sky Ferreira
"Night Time, My Time"
Sky Ferreira has her own thing going on. She’s dark and moody and brooding but funny and thoughtful and unique. I love her dark, visceral approach to everything. Night Time, My Time mixes Nine Inch Nails, Daria and Heart. It's awesome. Pro Tip: This album is (obviously) best experienced late at night.
#6
Willy Moon
"Here’s Willy Moon"
I never understood why modern crooners like Michael Buble sing such dorky god damn music. Willy Moon knows what’s up. He takes old school crooner musical stylings and mashes them with modern Wu-Tang and Kanye samples. As if this dude wasn’t already reading my diary, he likes to dabble in dark themes and get all spooky. I can’t wait to see what Mr. Moon comes up with next.
#7
Matt Skiba & the Sekrets
"KUTS"
Matt Skiba has been one of my favorite musicians since I was a kid. The prolific Alkaline Trio frontman doesn’t know how to take a break let alone write a bad song. KUTS, which is his second solo project’s second full length album, is one of my favorites. His distinct four chord approach is still there, but the sound of this record is different than anything he’s done before. Considering he’s made SO. MANY. RECORDS. for SO. MANY. YEARS. that’s saying a lot.
#8
Tove Lo
"Queen of the Clouds"
This girl came out of nowhere. Her unique look and style separates her from the Charli’s and Marina’s of the world, but she still has that incredible Europop sensibility. She’s a hell of a songwriter. The kind who dishes out hits to people like Hilary Duff who are looking for a comeback and need a surefire hit. Pro Tip: This album is amazing to listen to in the morning.
#9
Dragonette
"Bodyparts"
I once tweeted that Dragonette may be my favorite band that I never list as my favorite band. These guys don’t have a bad song. They don’t have a bad album. It’s a shame they aren’t big rock stars. Their distinctly infectious sound spreads across their entire catalogue, but Bodyparts is where they mastered it.
#10
Ladyhawke
"Anxiety"
Ladyhawke was a late discovery in the year, but she sure made an impact. So many people talk about how Rock N’ Roll is dead, but it’s just not in the mainstream anymore. Ladyhawke is proof of that. Her music is asskicking and catchy and great. The way Rock N’ Roll should be. Even better, she’s not a 50+ year old dude!
#11
Gin Wigmore
"Gravel & Wine"
This album is an instant classic. Everything from her name to the album name to the cover, it’s just perfect. Wigmore captured lightning, shoved it in a bottle and figured out how to reproduce it enough to make Gravel & Wine.
#12
Kitten
"kitten"
Europe is littered with amazing pop stars. It's unfair. We basically invented this shit but recently, Europop has leapfrogged American Pop. God Bless Kitten. In the world of Europop, Kitten is our Captain America. Chloe Chaidez is a force of nature. Only Charli XCX can match her intensity, especially live. Big things are still to come.
#13
Royal Headache
"High"
Shout out to Colorado Open Air for turning me onto these guys. Not much to say other than the fact that they rule.
#14
Elle King
"Love Stuff"
Like everyone, I discovered Elle King from that HBO commercial and like everyone, discovered her album is a delight from start to finish. I dug through some older stuff, music videos and live performances and fell in love. This girl is a badass, super funny and a hell of a songwriter. "Make You Smile" will forever be in my Top 10 favorite songs.
#15
Miley Cyrus
"& Her Dead PetZ"
Miley doesn’t get enough credit for dropping this record online, for free. It’s a fucking weird stoner zone out jam album. Annie likes to listen to it while doing yoga. A handful of years ago this girl was Hannah Montana, a few years later she’s twerking with Robin Thicke and now she’s covered in jailhouse tattoos, jamming with the Flaming Lips and Mike Will Made-It in her backyard. I couldn’t be more infatuated with a person. If only every musician was this awesome.