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2015: Year End Review by Cole Faulkner
ThePunkSite.com’s Best Of 2015
It’s that time of year again where we sit back, eat food, drink beer and reminisce about the past year’s best and worst, highlights and lowlights. The albums that forced us to sing our hearts out, the shows that struck a chord and the moments reverberated through our collected consciousnesses. We here at ThePunkSite.com, like everyone does this time of year, and looked back at our listening habits for the past 365 days and determined these the albums that truly left an impact with us.
Without further ado, select a contributor and see their year in review for 2015:
Bobby Gorman | Cole Faulkner | Steven Farkas | Dustin Blumhagen | Tom Liveyns
2015: Year End Review by Cole Faulkner
Well, 2015 was pretty spectacular on all fronts. We welcomed a new member to our family, I changed jobs to cut down on some stress, and throughout it all I reviewed almost 150 albums. There were a ton of great tunes to serve as a soundtrack to a memorable year – even if keeping up such a feverish pace meant my listening habits at times felt more like a cycling through a revolving door of albums than a hobby. I anticipate that 2015 will mark somewhat of a high point for my contributions on ThePunkSite. While this is by no means a resignation letter, 2016 is shaping up to be even crazier than the last, so as the saying goes, “something’s gotta give.” If I can aim for one review a week (rather than my current three), I’ll be pretty pleased with myself. With that being said, let’s break down some of what made 2015 great. I was able to keep it to fifteen this year, although my honorable mentions are admittedly excessive.
Top 15 Albums Of The Year
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After existing on my periphery of notable pop-punk bands, The Isotopes upped their game for their Stomp Records debut. The formula remains dead simple – sing about baseball and baseball related experiences in the style of Ramones-style pop punk – and it couldn’t work better than on Nuclear Strikezone. This one became a staple and subsequently lived in my car for most of the summer. |
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As someone who has admittedly never been the biggest fan of Swingin’ Utters, I couldn’t get enough of Darius Koski’s latest solo output, Sisu. As far as folk-punk goes, Koski retains all the grit charm you’d want from a folk punk outfit. |
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This was one of those albums that just sort of landed on my lap. As a huge fan of John Nolan’s work in Straylight Run this album quickly filled a void that I didn’t even know existed in my listening habits. Nolan masterfully blends his compositional nuances with a host of overarching hooks that make for an immersive experience. |
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Considering that I couldn’t stand TWIABP‘s heady, overly artistic take on emo in the past, their Epitaph Records debut served as a long overdue helping of humble pie. Harmlessness is one of the simplest and most successful takes on emo infused pop-punk of the year. Having shed the excessive self-indulgence of past efforts, fans and skeptics alike are in for a treat. |
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Here’s a solo acoustic artist that really flourishes without needing to enlist a band or plug in. Born of raw and relatable melodies, Russo weaves a web of intimate tales sure to reel anyone willing to listen to the troubles of a washed up, rugged punker looking to tell his story. Greyhound Dreams has been 2015’s my go to album for late night drives and tired, overworked evenings. |
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After all these years, Anti-Flag still has it. Politically astute, monolithically melodic, and unapologetically anthemic, American Spring packs in everything you’ve come to love about these long running punk rock icons. |
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One of Canada’s most unique psychobilly offerings just upped the ante. Heads Are Gonna Roll is a fast paced country tinged romper in the style of ten-gallon hats and thumping upright bass in a way that only Edmontonians could offer up. |
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In lieu of any new output from reggae-punk outfit Jaya The Cat, I feel fortunate enough to have stumbled upon a similar offering from Sammy Kay. There’s little more to be said aside from how natural the summery, feel-good flow fits as a shoe in for any backyard barbeque. |
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New Love presents Allison Weiss as Tegan & Sara’s long lost triplet. This is undeniably Weiss’ turning point as she transforms her quaint indie-pop into one of the catchiest synth-pop records of the year. An album that’s as addictive song by song as it is as a as altogether. |
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This album served as my first big surprise of the year. Not that I hadn’t anticipated that it would be great based on my previous run in with Hotel of the Laughing Tree, but that they could follow up such an impressive showing with yet another top notch original effort. |
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Every member of Alkaline Trio released a solo effort this year, but only Dan Andriano ventured far from his comfort zone with eye opening results. Party Adjacent is the type of adventurous sonic outing that puts Andriano’s lush musical talents on display and proves that he’s so much more than one half of the vocalization of the goth-punk band we’ve all come to know and love. |
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If you’re looking for something similar but adequately different from Death Cab For Cutie, then look no further than the short lived indie-punk outfit, The Midwestern Charm. Growing Pains achieves the ease of listening many attempt but few achieve so successfully. |
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One of Edmonton’s best kept secrets blew up this year with their addition to Stomp Records. This seething, incredibly emotive performance reaches out and begs listeners to connect in meaningful, genuine ways. Cold Hands is a raw and sincere breath of fresh air that could easily serve as blueprint for like-minded bands. |
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I’ve always been fond of Good Old War, but this year’s offering brought them into the mainstream without compromising the integrity of their reputation as a quaint acoustic powerhouse. Broken Into Better Shape translates everything we’ve come to associate with Good Old War in a radio friendly package sure to please existing fans and reel in unsuspecting newcomers. |
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Sure, I’m probably a little biased with this LP serving as hands down my most anticipated album of the year, but that these Montreal psychobilly legends were able to pull of such a successful comeback after a lengthy hiatus speaks volumes. Johnny Toxic, Flipper and R-1 prove that even in an increasingly competitive landscape they still have what it takes to dominate the Canadian psychobilly scene. |
Honorable Mentions
The Beatdown Meets Hugo Mudie
Brutal Youth – Bottoming Out
toyGuitar – In This Mess
Fat Mike & Friends – Home Street Home
Strung Out – Transmission.Alpha.Delta
Jeff Rosenstock – We Cool?
Make Do And Mend – Don’t Be Long
Red City Radio – Self Titled
Real McKenzies – Rats In the Burlap
Dwayne – Self Titled
Dustin Kensrue – Carry The Fire
Timeshares – Already Dead
Millencolin – True Brew
The Early November – Imbue
Jake $ the Jellyfish – Dead Weight
Sorority Noise – Joy, Departed
The Tosspints – Privateer
All People – Learn, Forget Repeat
Desaparecidos – Payola
Slow And Steady – In time We Belong
Looming – Nailbiter
Elway – Better Whenever
Darkbuster – No Revolution
The Island Of Misfit Toys – I made You Something
Craig Finn – Faith In The Future
Motion City Soundtrack – Panic Station
Roger Harvey – Twelve Houses
Night Birds – Mutiny and Muscle Beach
Wonder Years – No Closer To Heaven
Lucero – All a Man Can Do
Fun, Forever – ST
Smokey Bastard – Back To The Drawing Room
The Brains – Out In The Dark
The Damn Tracks – Self Titled
MC Lars – Zombie Dinosaur LP
Civil War Rust – Help Wanted
Max Levine Ensemble – Backlash, Baby
Beach Slang – The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us
Sic Waiting – Derailer
Best album I didn’t listen to.
Murder By Death – Big Dark Love
Bobby kept trying to get me to review it early in the year but for some reason it kept on getting buried in my playlists. It’s an awesome album that deserves a shout out.
Best EP
Old Coyote Club – …And The Serotonin Hustle
The band broke up a month or so after releasing this UK folk punk gem. I’m heartbroken, and no, I won’t get over it!
Still want to hear from 2015
The Front Bottoms – Back on Top
Now here is an embarrassing situation; I purchased The Front Bottoms latest shortly after release on iTunes and promptly forgot that I owned it until curating this list! Last year’s Rose EP was a great listen, so I expect to be pleased with this one as well!
Now here is an embarrassing situation; I purchased The Front Bottoms latest shortly after release on iTunes and promptly forgot that I owned it until curating this list! Last year’s Rose EP was a great listen, so I expect to be pleased with this one as well!
Looking Forward to in 2016
I haven’t given much thought to which music lies ahead in 2016, but I fully expect to enjoy my ongoing journey of month to month discovery, even if I take things down a notch. Truthfully, I think I’m mostly nervous for 2016; nervous for the many more changes coming my way. Not in a bad way, but kind of the same way that a kid on Christmas Eve anxiously awaits the next morning to see if what he thinks is under the tree is really going to be there, and if it lives up to the months of swelling anticipation. Only one way to find out!
Cole Faulkner is Editor in Chief at ThePunkSite.com
