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It's the new year and some parts of the world still don't have Spotify. Seriously, this was bumming me through 2015, and only because I couldn't take part in those Stereogum playlists

This is fire! After FACTS this feels even better, a true return to form. That Madlib beat in the snippet is amazing, and when Kendrick came on I was so happy. GOOD Friday indeed! Also the kanyewest.com source code has a neat Kanye ASCII. yes I'm a nerd http://i.imgur.com/cUuNYzJ.png

I think he was quoting "Facts" which means there's at least one person who doesn't think that song blows

I've never been to Coachella and don't really know anything about US crowds, but based on my experience at an Unknown Mortal Orchestra show a couple weeks ago I'd say they're probably not going to have a very large crowd but they aren't going to flop. This band seems to be hitting a sweet spot with a lot of people for some reason I can't explain (I mean, I love them, but everyone around me was just ECSTATIC to be there). They also play a pretty great live show and I think they could actually work great in a festival setting. About that LCD spot - well, sure, they aren't the biggest band there. But their live show is totally fantastic and could work with a lot of the dance-loving crowd too IMO. Also, let's not forget Phoenix headlined a night a couple years ago, and they are a MUCH smaller band who were totally out of place in that headline spot (also the album they released back then wasn't very good, and LCD won't have to face that problem because they probably will play mostly if not only classics and not the new material they just confirmed is in the works).

If this means I get to hear new music AND get a chance to see them live again, I forgive everything

I feel like we all would believe the title even if the article only had the cover art in it

So this is probably going too far down the comments but I feel like I have to say it anyway: I got into the Strokes a bit later in life then most commentators here. My first foray into Strokes territory - or their first album I've heard and liked was Angles, which came out when I was 18. Before that I tried listening to Is This It and for some inexplicable reason hated it. It took some time for me to revisit "classic" Strokes and fall in love with them - but I think that last two years have been the definitive in my relationship with the Strokes, to a point where I can refer to them as one of my favorite bands now. I even went into the extent of flying to London to see them perform in Hyde Park (well, Blur and them, but you get the point). All of that introduction is here to explain the following: I've only listened to FIOE for the first time this past year. It was the one Strokes album I kind of thought wouldn't matter, because I kept reading everywhere how bad and inconsistent it was. And then when I realized I was going to see them live soon I decided to finally give it a listen, and guess what? It wasn't nearly as bad as people described it! True, It's waaaay too long, and it very much drags after the first half. But the hits man, the hits! Some of the songs on this album are so fucking good, they are easily among the Strokes' best. The first 6 songs - maybe without On The Otherside which is kinda meh - hit so hard. I can't compare how the album sounds to me now to how it sounded to me in 2006 - because I wasn't even aware of the Strokes then - but to me it doesn't sound dated, or like it aged poorly. Based on the essay (which btw was very well thought and written), I think a big factor in the reason a lot of people don't like the album was because The Strokes were so big back then and this was a major event for everyone which didn't seem to deliver. But for me they weren't - the Strokes were never very big where I live & grew up - so I feel like when hearing it now it's easier for me to see the album for what it is, and not as a disappointment based on false promises or promotion. I've already said too much, but two last things: 1. Juicebox is an incredible song. When they played it in Hyde Park 6 months ago the crowd went nuts! Yeah, I get it, the Brits love them more than anyone else, but I will never get the hate this song gets. 2. Vision of Division is probably the most underrated Strokes song ever.

What a bland fucking beat. I mean Kanye had lame lyrics before but these combined with the completely awful beat here makes this really unlistenable. Hope this is just a one off

Crispy = Pretzel > Regular > Peanut

I fucking loved it! It was so thrilling to be able to watch it in a theater (I also watched the prequel trilogy in cinema but I wasn't even Bar Mitzva'd then), more so with all the geeks like myself who went to see it on opening day. It was really fun sharing all the fan jokes and nods with other people! I also thought the movie was very well executed, very fun to watch and am very thrilled for the rest of this trilogy.

I just commented here about how my comments seem to get deleted just to find out that comment got deleted. Despite the several levels of irony found here, this really sucks. It was a funny comment too.

All of us are getting "You're commenting too fast" messages for nothing and you get away with this crap?

Hopefully both of these come out in 2016 to ensure an amazing year yet again

First place is very well deserved. For some reason I thought of Uptown Funk as a 2014 song? I don't really know why. This kinda sucks because otherwise I would have included it in every single top 2015 songs I did, not just pop. Serious jam. I would also probably put Lean On right behind it on #2 because it's one of my favorite songs of the year all together. Other then that, Where Are U Now very deserving of it's place. It's an absolute jam, and I've hated every other thing Bieber ever did, so it's not like I'm part of the Bieber comeback worshipers. Finally, fuck Hello. That song is the worst.

FWIW, Junun is an excellent album. "Allah Elohim" has a quasi-Radiohead guitar line which is very great

underrated comment

I don't know how it's possible for them to keep cranking out tunes like this. Hope they never stop.

Also giving up/down votes on mobile seems to be broken as of today

As far as "The Year in Drake" articles go, I think this is a lot better than that Draking Bad article from a couple of years ago. Y'all remember that shit right? I have to know I'm not making this up

Album: Tame Impala - Currents Song: Tame Impala - Let It Happen (although I have to admit my personal favorite is The Less I Know the Better) I tried not to go for the double sweep but this felt like the right thing. Best Concert: Blur in Hyde Park Most fun concert: Mac DeMarco. Possibly the most fun I've ever had in a concert. Mac crowdsurfed for about 7 minutes, all the way to the upper balcony and back down. also the crowd went mad at "Still Together" with multiple people (including yours truly) climbing on stage to hug/sing/whatever while security tries to kick everyone offstage. Sandwich: Smoked salmon Beer: Weihenstephan Website: Wikipedia.org

I posted my answers in the comments, but they don't show up for some reason, and when I try to re-post it tells me I already posted the same comment. what's up with that? in the meantime, top 5 moments (that I could pull off right now instead of going to sleep like I should): 1. When the drums stop at about 4:11 of "The Blacker the Berry" and Kendrick just SLAYS. 2. The guitar barrage in the last 15 seconds of Thee Oh Sees' "Web" 3. Bike revving > guitar solo in Action Bronson's "Easy Rider" (preferably while watching that Coachella video where he throws the mic) 4. Transition into the final part of "March of Progress" by fka Viet Cong. incredible 5. "By the time you hear the next pop..."

The album title is so you though

I upvoted you immediately when seeing Baio, but then read the whole thing and saw The Love Within and I kinda wish I hadn't.

Cray West

They do huh? Well there goes the option to read through those while on mobile

I mean, they are kinda becoming the British Maroon 5 now, so maybe whoever was booking didn't notice

lol I love the idea of every merboy comment having at least two automatic upvotes now (I mean, he's probably got yours as well)

Really glad you liked it! Let's say I owe you this one for that White Reaper album. Real talk though, that Baio album got almost no press at all, which is super weird as he's in one of the most loved indie bands working right now. It's a real shame though, the album really is that great. I feel like if more people knew about it it would show in a lot more year end lists!

Yeah man! Great to see another LotP fan here. It's good to know I'm not alone. Fantasy Black Channel was a super important album for me in highschool, it's insanely good and underrated. I remember finding it in Amoeba Records' one dollar bin and being both extremely happy to be able to buy this album and extremely sad to find it next to random trash albums. Very jealous you got to see 'em live, unfortunately being a music fan in a small country makes it really hard catching small indie artists during their prime. (I did get to see of Montreal once and it was a crazy incredible live show!) I totally get what you mean about that LA Priest album though. Oino got me really excited, but the rest of the album just wasn't as good. It's got some great jams (Party Zute obviously rules), but too much filler. I still love the dude though and really hope he'll keep releasing stuff because he's just so talented. Hopefully another LotP album will come out one day too :)

This was actually my first time listening to a full Beirut album (yeah, I know, don't ask), and I really liked it, which made me check out more of their stuff. So I guess it's not all bad!

Health's version is soooo much better though! It was such a pleasure hearing it live. If I remember correctly it was played right next to USA Boys, which is its best counterpart. The best part of the concert though was how my friend came by just in between songs to see what I was watching (this was in Berlin Festival), and immediately when they resumed playing he made a scared/shocked face and ran away to another stage (where I think CSS was playing? remember those guys?). great times.

gruff gets it! 5 EPs of the year for me: 1+2. Mac DeMarco - Another One / Some Other Ones When I didn't see Another One on the 50 best albums list I guessed/hoped that's just because it's too short to actually be an album, and was on the EP list, but I'm sad to see it's not the case. I myself kind of think about it and Some Other Ones as one "LP" together, but both are great, rewarding listens, each worthy of an EP of the year nomination. 3. Wavves x Cloud Nothings - No Life For Me so this counts as an LP I guess, but technically it's short enough to be called an EP. I had a really specific idea of what this would sound like when it was announced, and the real thing sounded NOTHING like what I imagined, but it still was surprisingly very, very good. Worth a listen. 4. Thundercat - Them Changes Simply put, this man is a beast. whatever he does is always awesome. 5. Garden City Movement - Modern West AKA the one none of you heard, but I feel like I gotta represent the local greats! Incredible post-dubstep-ish pop. Granted, it's the weakest out of their 3 EPs, but it's still very good, which means you should definitely listen to their two fantastic EPs from 2014 if you like this. Check it out! Also, I mentioned it in the top albums list, but it's short enough to count as an EP too - Will Butler's Policy is incredible! Anna is a very strong SOTY contender for me. Do listen to this.

Refused (to believe that's a Refused album)

Oh no, I sound way more critical than I meant to be! Metz II does have some killer jams (Acetate is great!), but it just didn't stick with me the way the first album did. It just didn't feel as vital as the debut. It's not a bad album in any way, just disappointing for me.

Noisetimism: 2016's hottest trend

Damn, this sounds incredible. I saw them at Rock en Seine 14' when they toured as a three piece, which meant no Brigid Dawson, but also meant getting my face melted by a super tight power trio. Also one of my top 10 gigs, because I had the most fun ever

I hear you, there were just too many worthwhile releases this year. I haven't heard half of this list yet! And a lot of my favorites aren't even on it! Other stuff you (and anyone else reading this) should check out - LA Priest - The frontman of the incredibly-amazingly-great Late of the Pier (RIP). It's not as good as LotP's stuff but it's a nice listen anyhow (Checkout OINO) Ryley Walker - real sweet album, I heard it only after he played a couple shows here two months ago, so I missed those and am bummed about it now.

Yes! Another fella who loved the new Wavves album! Totally underrated.

They're all incredible! I mean I don't know what Chris Tomson does except for VW but I'm sure he's a cool dude.

I saw Health live once, four years ago. That was one of the most mind blowing shows I've been to. Do they still play Goth Star live? Because that was incredible