#4 RADIOHEAD - “A MOON SHAPED POOL”
(experimental rock/modern classical)

radiohead’s ninth full-length studio album is possibly their most overtly beautiful album to date.  this album distinguishes itself from previous radiohead albums in that it is entirely mid-tempo, heavily orchestrated songs and thom yorke’s voice rarely goes ragged or strained. it doesn’t have the alternative rock roots of earlier band recordings and it would probably fit best with modern and minimal classical music genre.

#3 HAYDEN CALNIN - “CUT LOVE” 
(singer-songwriter/electronic)

two-part debut album by aussie singer-songwriter and producer hayden calnin. both parts of the album are similar in tone, mood and means of expression, but pt. 1 is a quieter, more subdued record, whereas songs on pt. 2 have a much bigger, grander sound. all those brooding, melancholic landscapes and a mix of acoustic instruments and digital effects inevitably draw comparisons to such artists like bon iver and m83. 

#2 ANDY HULL,  ROBERT MCDOWELL,  DANIEL RADCLIFFE,  PAUL DANO - “SWISS ARMY MAN"
(original film soundtrack)

i’ve longed for ages for such a sincere, big-hearted, magical, imaginative and weird film as “swiss army man”, co-directed by music video auteurs daniel kwan and daniel scheinert – aka ‘the daniel’, starring daniel radcliffe and paul dano. it struck me with its bizarre story, alluring cinematography and hauntingly beautiful sigur ros-ish soundtrack (written by andy hull and robert mcdowell of manchester orchestra) that is done mostly a capella with the main cast singing as well.

#1 BON IVER - “22, A MILLION”
(singer-songwriter/electronic)

to put it shortly, bon iver released a masterpiece and broke my heart short after by cancelling the european tour this january… a dream almost came true.

#8 EDWARD SHARP & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS - “PERSONA”
(indie folk)

the fourth studio release for the psychedelic folk ensemble edward sharp and the magnetic zeros led by alex ebert. the band took a step forward to a darker, more matured and fuller, nearly orchestral sound. it is definitely a slow grower because there is no such radio-friendly material like their hit “home” that still featured now-departed vocalist jade castrinos.

#7 SHEARWATER - “JET PLANE AND OXBOW”
(indie rock)

texas-based indie rock band shearwater returned with their loudest, most energetic and ambitious full-length release to date. jonathan meiburg’s songs are getting more and more stadium-ready, adding heavier beats and faster tempos to those massive soundscapes that were increasingly present on each of their 8 previous albums. this kind of progression is rarely a good thing but i’d say that shearwater managed it skillfully

#6 ALEXIS TAYLOR - “PIANO”
(singer-songwriter)

the second solo release for the hot chip lead singer alexis taylor features stripped down and re-imagined versions of songs from hot chip, his side project about group and some of his favorite artists. it’s a very peaceful, subtle and personal record, perfect soundtrack to a melancholic mood.

#5 DAVID BOWIE - “BLACKSTAR”
(experimental rock/art rock)

“★” is the 25th and final studio album by english songwriter and performer david bowie.  it’s a darkly beautiful and haunting “parting gift” for his fans before his death which came as a shocking surprise since he kept his medical condition in secret. 2016 was a bitch…

#12 KISHI BASHI - “SONDERLUST”
(indie pop)

third album by american violinist and songwriter kaoru ishibashi under his kishi bashi moniker. though this is not exactly a drastic departure from past efforts by former member of jupiter one and of montreal, it’s more infused with the sounds of disco, r&b, and ‘70s soft rock, retreating from ishibashi’s classical music training and leaning more on guitars and synthesizers.

#11 LEONARD COHEN - “YOU WANT IT DARKER”
(singer-songwriter/contemporary pop-rock)

a darkly beautiful and reflective final record from the legendary canadian songwriter leonard cohen. personally, i think that it’s his best work to date, though his weathered, grim vocals and album’s focus on death and regrets makes it quite an uncomfortable listen, considering his imminent fate.

#10 THE DIVINE COMEDY - “FOREVERLAND”
(chamber pop)

“foreverland” is the 11th full length studio release for the chamber pop band the divine comedy - a project started in late 80’s by a singer, lyricist and composer neil hannon.  i really enjoy it though this is no departure from the formula he’s previously used for the past decade - orchestral pop with a fine mix of theatrical, flamboyant goofiness and sincerity.

#9 T.E. MORRIS - “NEWFOUNDLAND”
(singer-songwriter/slowcore)

a deeply melancholic farewell album by tom morris, one of my favorite songwriters in independent music today. the frontman of the post-rock band her name is calla stated that his solo career has come to an end because it’s too painful and complicated for this project to continue. i deeply regret that tom’s music never got the recognition it deserved, but, hopefully, there are some releases by his band to look forward to.

#16 ANDREW BIRD - “ARE YOU SERIOUS” 
(indie folk/pop-rock)

canadian songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and professional whistler andrew bird delivered his 10th full-length studio release after several ep’s and the handsome family cover album. i kinda miss the good old days when andrew was more adventurous both in his flamboyant lyrics and musical forms, but i must say that “are you serious” is still a very decent indie folk record with a warm mood and easily approachable songs. it also features collaborations with fiona apple and blake mills.

#15 MATT CORBY - “TELLURIC”
(singer-songwriter/soul/psychedelic rock)

it took matt corby 7 years since the release of his debut ep to finally release his first full-lenght album. stylistically, all of the previous ep’s from this australian songwriter sounded a bit different, without ever offering a clear statement of what it is he’s actually about. “telluric” continues the pattern, merging corby’s folky songs with gospel, jazz, soul and psychedelic rock.

#14 THE LUMINEERS - “CLEOPATRA”
(indie folk/folk rock)

the lumineers’ sophomore album finds the band in a darker, more mature state. rootsy guitars, gritty vocals on sing-along choruses, stomping drums and tambourines are still present, but the overall mood is not nearly as joyful and easy going as their highly successful self-titled debut. it does seem a little  monochromatic and monotonous at times, but this album really grew on me upon repeated listens, when i was preparing myself for their live show in poland.

#13 MOONFACE (ft. SIINAI) - “MY BEST HUMAN FACE”
(indie rock/alternative rock)

after releasing two consecutive albums of minimal and sombre piano-only music, moonface (aka canadian musician spencer krug, also known as one of the founding members of wolf parade) teamed up once again with finnish krautrock band siinai. these two acts had worked together before on moonface’s rather depressing 2012 album “heartbreaking bravery”. this time, the collaboration resulted in krug’s most dynamic, hook driven and vital set of solo songs, that often resemble arcade fire.

so, here’s me, trying once again to make a list of my favorite music albums released last year. 

#20 LIIMA - “ii” 
(indie/electronic)

liima is the follow-up project of danish indie/post-rock band efterklang. three founding members of efterklang (mads brauer, casper clausen and rasmus stolberg) teamed up with finnish percussionist tatu rönkkö for this musical adventure that sounds familiar at some points, but is a lot nosier and more experimental and electronic than what we’ve heard from these gentlemen before. 

#19 MAX JURY - “MAX JURY”
(soul/alt-country/adult contemporary)

the debut full-length release for the london-based singer-songwriter from iowa features influences of country, soul and gospel, often reminiscing such legends of songwriting as bob dylan, joni mithcell and neil young. 

#18 WHITE DENIM - “STIFF”
(southern rock/garage rock)

“stiff” is the seventh studio album by the rock band white denim from austin, texas. it was recorded after significant line-up changes in the band with jonathan horne substituting austin jenkins on guitar and jeff olson replacing josh block behind the drum kit. the title of this album is a bit misleading because the songs are far from being stiff or static - on the contrary, this is one of their most energetic and playful records to date.

#17 C DUNCAN - “THE MIDNIGHT SUN”
(dream pop/lo-fi)

christopher duncan is a scottish composer and multi-instrumentalist whose academic music background shaped his sophisticated indie pop style that takes in both classical and modern music, combining lush choral harmonies and acoustic instrumentation. although this album seemed like just several variations of the same song upon first listen, it heavily grew on me after several repeats.  

INDIE FOLK mixtape 

i’ve decided to try to create and publish conceptual music playlists more often, so here i am at it again - an untitled compilation that i finished today, featuring some of my favorite indie folk bands and songwriters. enjoy!

playlist url:
https://open.spotify.com/user/1176504724/playlist/7h4rppwYFVFWvqIl6Csgmv

tracklist:

01 little wings - look at what the light did now
02 fleet foxes - white winter hymnal
03 edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros - man on fire
04 the tallest man on earth - the wild hunt
05 i am oak - don’t i know enough  
06 the staves - icarus
07 sons of noel and adrian - the wreck is not a boat
08 mumford & sons - timshel
09 chris bathgate - no silver
10 bon iver - skinny love
11 timber timbre - demon host
12 paolo nutini - growing up beside you
13 lisa hannigan - passenger
14 saintseneca - beasts
15 the lumineers - gun song
16 dry the river - shaker hymns
17 sufjan stevens - romulus
18 jenny lysander - dancing on the edge
19 sam amidon - i wish i wish
20 bowerbirds - northern lights
21 iron & wine - the trapeze swinger

now we killed a raccoon
we are using your body like it’s a machine gun
now we are shooting some fish
our friendship is blossoming
let’s eat the stuff we killed
now we started a fire
i have to admit i’m enjoying your company
are we falling in love?

all we ever needed was a montage

i’m hanging from vines and i’m dancing
da da da da da dancing

true friendship

paul dano & daniel radcliffe - “montage” (”swiss army man”, 2016)

i’ve longed for ages for such a sincere, big-hearted, magical, imaginative and weird film as “swiss army man”, co-directed by music video auteurs daniel kwan and daniel scheinert – aka ‘the daniel’, starring daniel radcliffe and paul dano.

it struck me with its bizarre story, alluring cinematography and hauntingly beautiful sigur ros-ish soundtrack (written by andy hull and robert mcdowell of manchester orchestra) that’s been on repeat on spotify for hours.

***

#4 DANIEL KNOX - “DANIEL KNOX”

daniel knox is a self taught american composer and singer-songwriter with a cult following that includes david lynch and jarvis cocker. knowing absolutely nothing about him, i accidentally heard daniel performing at a show in a public park during my trip to brussels last summer. i was momentarily fascinated by his large, vibrating voice, strong presence and his songs that combine dark, depressing lyrics together with music that has elements of light-hearted vaudeville, jazz, cabaret, baroque pop and classical music (much like the tiger lillies). his self-titled 3rd album (that i purchased right away after the concert) is maybe less musically diverse than his previous releases, but it’s a rich, beautiful album that creates a cohesive and sustained mood.

***

#3 SUFJAN STEVENS - “CARRIE & LOWELL”

“carrie & lowell” is the 7th studio album by american singer-songwriter sufjan stevens. it was met with universal critical acclaim, topping countless “best of 2015” lists. inspired by the loss of his mother, sufjan recorded his most beautiful album up to date - the songs here are intimate, tender, stripped-down and simply heartbreaking.

***

#2 LOW - “ONES AND SIXES”

since 2007 album “drums and guns”, american slowcore pioneers low released a few albums that overall seemed good to me, but it felt like the band stayed in the comfort zone too much. on 2015 record “ones and sixes” they once again try to expand their sound and push the boundaries a little. mimi parker and alan sparhawk’s soothing trademark vocal harmonies and restrained tempos remain, but the songs are arranged with greater emphasis on keyboards, electronics and heavy bass beats that sound mind-blowing if you listen to them on good headphones in lossless format.

***

#1 PETER BRODERICK - “COLOURS OF THE NIGHT”

finally concluding my list of last year’s favorite records, #1 spot goes to american contemporary composer and singer-songwriter peter broderick. after a hiatus caused by a stress-related illness, peter returned with “colours of the night” - an ambitious and genre-bending album with bits of acoustic balladry, vintage pop, ambient music, country and even some afro-beat. broderick’s return also marks changes in the recording process - having always taken pride in playing all of the instruments himself on more than a dozen albums, “colours of the night” is his first record with a live band. peter stated that it was exciting and refreshing to put trust in others and see how the bandmates influence his writings coming to life. the outcome really works on me on so many levels.

***

#8 NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS - “NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHT SWEATS”

thanks to his alluring voice and folk-based, pensive songwriting, denver’s nathaniel rateliff has garnered a large following and much critical acclaim in the last few years. though previously known for performing solo or with smaller acoustic ensembles, in 2013 he recruited a large band to record a set of more energetic and upbeat songs of his. the result is a danceable, passionate contemporary soul album, at times reminiscent of otis redding, chuck berry and van morrison.

***

#7 JOHN GRANT - “GREY TICKLES, BLACK PRESSURE”

on his third solo record, american singer-songwriter john grant continues to add up different influences to his song crafting, moving further away from traditional acoustic guitar-and-piano balladry of his 2010 debut, which sounded much like a less orchestrated rufus wainwright album. with heavy use of digital beats and synthetic sounds, sophomore 2012 release “pale green ghosts” already marked a change in artistic direction, but “grey tickles, black pressure” with its funky bass riffs, distorted guitars and woozy synths, sounds even more eclectic. there are things that remain consistent over the years, though - grant’s luscious baritone and his dark, ironic lyrics.

***

#6 LAIKA SUNS - “GAISMAS LĀDIŅŠ”

“gaismas lādiņš” is a debut lp by latvian indie rock band laika suns. most of the members have been playing music together for years, most notably in the band mofo - one of the first britpop bands in latvia. this album is a progression from mofo’s trademark sound, music here is diversified with complex rhytms and experiments with electronic music. overall, my favorite album in the latvian music scene last year.

***

#5 THE WHITE BIRCH - “THE WEIGHT OF SPRING”

“the weight of spring” is a comeback album by norwegian slowcore act the white birch that hadn’t put out a record for almost 10 years, until band’s frontman ola fløttum decided to revive the project. the band is named after a song by codeine, one of slowcore pioneers, so it’s understandable that they share many similarities in their creative work - their music is slow, wistful, hushed and melancholic. this record was mostly under the radars of most major “best-of” lists, but it topped many indie lists in northern and western europe, being praised for its heartbreaking cinematic musical landscapes.

***

#12 - RICHARD HAWLEY - “HOLLOW MEADOWS”

after stepping out of the comfort zone and doing some serious psychedelic rocking-out on 2012 album “standing at the sky’s edge”, sheffield’s native richard hawley returns to familiarly lush ground - nostalgic, romantic and old-fashioned songs, delivered by hawley’s trademark croon and subtle guitar arrangements. i am really looking forward to seeing richard playing live, since he is announced to perform in positivus festival 2016 in salacgriva, latvia.

***

#11 - DESTROYER - “POISON SEASON”

after nearly 20 years since their 1996 debut, canadian indie rockers destroyer released their finest work up to date. a follow-up to the hugely successful “kaputt” (2011), “poison season” is an ambitious chamber pop record with rich and complex instrumentation (especially the string arrangements), 70’s pop/rock aesthetics and dan bejar’s distinctive voice that sounds more confident and bolder than ever before.

***

#10 - BEACH HOUSE - “DEPRESSION CHERRY”

on their 5th album “depression cherry”, baltimore dream pop duo beach house continues to perfect their sweet, dreamy and atmospheric sound. the songs here are intimate and poetic, victoria legrand’s ethereal vocals mixes sublimely with alex scally’s smooth layer of synths and drum machines. 2015 also saw the release of another beach house album “thank your lucky stars”, but, thematically, this successor often feels political, and does not trigger me on an emotional level that well.

***

#9 - RYLEY WALKER - “PRIMROSE GREEN”

“primrose green” is the second album by american singer-songwriter and guitarist ryley walker. much like its predecessor, it is deeply rooted in folk traditions of the late 60′s, adding a blend of contemporary jazz and psychedelic rock. walker himself is a virtuous guitar player, and backing musicians that walker employed on “primrose green” include several noted chicago jazz and experimental musicians, and after seeing them live in brussels last summer, i’ve got to say that the band’s chemistry and skills are very impressive.

***

#16 - VILLAGERS - “DARLING ARITHMETIC”

less ambitious and less experimental than villagers’ previous two mercury prize nominated albums, “darling arithmetic” offers intimate, subdued, laid-back indie folk that thematically often focuses on singer-songwriter conor o’brien “coming out of the closet”. unlike the albums before, this one is completely a solo record, since every instrument was played and recorded by o’brien himself.

***

#15 - KAIL BAXLEY - “A LIGHT THAT NEVER DIES”

a genre-bending debut lp by kail baxley. originally from south carolina, the now los angeles-based singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist effortlessly combines blues, soul, gospel, pop, and rock to create a collection of songs which are all shot through with baxley’s fascinating voice that carries a strong resemblance to ray lamontagne.

***

#14 - LOWER DENS - “ESCAPE FROM EVIL”

american guitarist, lead vocalist and lower den’s androgynous frontwoman jana hunter and her bandmates have created their most accessible, and, ultimately, best work to date, with groovy new-wave guitar licks, 80′s-sounding synths, confessional lyrics and hunter’s resonant vocals. their overall sound reminds me much of a mix between beach house and wild beasts. 

***

#13 - EDITORS - “IN DREAM”

***

#20 FLORENCE + THE MACHINE - “HOW BIG, HOW BLUE, HOW BEAUTIFUL”

another theatric and arena-ready indie pop-rock record from florence + the machine. praised for frontwoman’s florence welch’s vocal performance, lush arrangements and more diversified approach to songwriting, this album has earned the band five grammy award nominations, in addition to being shortlisted for the 2015 mercury prize. 

***

#19 EAST INDIA YOUTH - “CULTURE OF VOLUME”

william doyle’s sophomore album under the alias of east india youth is more song-oriented than his mercury-shortlisted debut, and stylistically it  mostly pays homage to 1980′s electropop and krautrock scene and falls somewhere in-between pet shop boys and “berlin”-era david bowie. 

***

#18 LIANNE LA HAVAS - “BLOOD”

although the second album by british singer and guitarist lianne la havas isn’t as packed with memorable singles as her 2012 debut, it offers a playful and funky blend of pop and neo-soul. what still makes her different than dozens of other contemporary pop and soul singers, is that she writes the songs herself, so the music acquires lots more personality. and her unique voice, of course.

***

#17 EWERT AND THE TWO DRAGONS - “CIRCLES”

“circles” is the highly anticipated third studio album from ewert and the two dragons, one of the internationally most popular bands from baltic states. it offers northerly-restrained indie pop with subdued keys and nostalgic lyrics. 

fuckyouverymuch:

We are deeply saddened by the fact that David Bowie, our big hero and great inspiration, has passed away. May his soul rest in piece and his music live on forever.

i wanna dance
with a black woman

i wanna still
my mind

i want another chance
to distill that time

and I wanna write
to someone so true

i wanna wake
from hot dreams of you

i wanna rise
up beside you.

i want to be
a champion in your eyes

i wanna follow through,
on all my promises and threats to you, babe

hot streams will
fork and divide

i wanna take
take all of your air

i wanna find
another daydream, another nightmare

i wanna lie
lie me down in your stream

i wanna wake
from hot dreams of you, babe

timber timbre - “hot dreams (”hot dreams”, 2014)

taking inspiration for the project’s name from a cabin in ontario where they made some of their first recordings, the haunted-sounding canadian indie folk act timber timbre feature singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist taylor kirk, supported by keyboardist/violinist mika posen and guitarist/percussionist simon trottier.

often defined by kirk’s ethereal, baritone vocals, which sounds like that of the greats (lou reed, leonard cohen), and having their sound described by music journalists as “an aesthetic rooted in swampy, ragged blues” and “beautifully restrained blues from an alternate universe”, this trio has been nominated several times for polaris music prize, awarded for best full-length canadian album based on artistic merit.

so far, timber timbre have released  a couple of independent albums and three records after signing for arts & crafts label. with each record they continue to show a wider range of musical influences and grow grander and more ambitious, progressing both due to artistic advancement and production quality.

the first single and title track of timber timbre’s 2014 effort “hot dreams” is a sexy, syrupy, longing soul song, at times, sounding like such artists as tindersticks and bill callahan.

Listen/purchase: First Dance Of The Feather by The Pink Elephant

pink elephant - “first dance of the feather” (”mellowing”, 2015)

pink elephant is a new four-piece psychedelic rock band from riga, latvia. they play nature and groove driven psychedelic music with jazz and blues elements, characterized by dreamy guitars and wavy vocals.

“first dance of the feather” is the first song from the recently released full length album “mellowing”. it showcases the band’s biggest strenghts - dazzling guitars, groovy basslines and a trippy feeling throughout that fans of the doors or pink floyd might appreciate. 

pink elephant will perform in positivus festival 2015 on july 19th.