- Shamir – Ratchet (XL)
- Diet Cig – Over Easy (Father/Daughter)
- Say Lou Lou – Lucid Dreaming (Cosmos)
- Joywave – How Do You Feel Now? (CultCo)
- SOAK – Reckless Behavior (Rough Trade)
- GEMS – Kill The One You Love (Carpark)
- Seinabo Sey – Pretend (Universal)
- Natalie Prass – S/T (Spacebomb)
- Madeon – Adventure (Sony)
- Sports – Naked All The Time (S/R)
- In Tall Buildings – Driver (Western Vinyl)
Top 10 Local Releases
- Hot Flash Heat Wave – Neapolitan (S/R)
- The Dodos – Individ (Polyvinyl)
- Geographer – Ghost Modern (Roll Call)
- Bhi Bhiman – Rhythm & Reason (BooCoo Music)
- The Stone Foxes – Twelve Spells (S/R)
- Tiaras – S/T (Mt.St.Mtn.)
- Naytonrix – Mister Divine (City Slang)
- Waters – What’s Real (Vagrant)
- Toro y Moi – What For? (Capark)
- Sonny & the Sunsets – Talent Night at the Ashram (Polyvinyl)
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Top 10 Shows (not including festival sets) out of a grand total of 95
- Typhoon – Revolution Hall (Portland), 12/20
- The Decemberists – Greek Theatre, 5/1
- Rubble bucket – The Independent, 3/27
- Ezra Furman – Rickshaw Stop, 12/6
- Unconditional Arms – Santo Studios, 7/17
- Future Islands – Fox Theater, 9/25
- Alvvays – The Independent 11/17
- Interpol – The Warfield, 4/21
- The Wild Reeds – Hyde Street Studios,
- Noah Gunderson – The Battery, 3/25
BEST SONGS OF 2015
- Lindi Ortega – “I Ain’t The Girl” – Faded Gloryville – (Last Gang)
- Angela Easterling – “Arkansas Murder Ballad” – Common Law Wife” – (De L’Est Music)
- Charflies – “Witch Of Sunoco” – Linoleum Angel – (Mule Fuel)
- Wonky Tonk – “Washington Avenue” – Stuff We Leave Behind – (S/R)
- Elle King – “Exs and Ohs” – Love Stuff – (RCA Victor)
- Ben Rogers – “Wanted” – Bloodred Yonder – (Tonic)
- Cracker – “King Of Bakersfield” – Berkeley To Bakersfield – (429 records)
- Calexico – “Beneath The City Of Dreams” – Edge Of The Sun – (Anti-)
- Talent Brothers – “Lately” – Back On The Old Stuff – (S/R)
- 11 Acorn Lane – “Lucky Day” – Time For Tea – (Wooden Hat)
- Liminanas – “La Fille De La Ligne” – I’ve Got Trouble In Mind – (Trouble In Mind)
- John Schooley – “The Man Who Rode The Mule Around The World” – The Man Who Rode The Mule Around The World – (Voodoo Rhythm)
- Bottle Rockets – “Dog” – South Broadway Athletic Club – (Bloodshot)
- Dave Alvin and Phil Alvin – “Sit Down Baby” – Lost Time – (Yep Roc)
- Dwight Yoakum – “Liar” – Second Hand Heart – (Reprise)
- Quiet Life – “Skin And Bones” – Wild Pack – (Mama Bird)
- Lonesome Heroes – “Steel” – Can’t Stand Still – (S/R)
- Kacey Musgraves – “Biscuits” – Pagent Material – (Mercury)
- Eleni Mandell – “I’m Old Fashioned” – Dark Lights Up – (Yep Roc!)
- Steve Earle and the Dukes – “Baby Baby Baby (baby)” – Terraplane – (New West)
- Stereophonics – “C’est La Vie” – Keep The Village Alive – (Stylus)
- Lisa Leblanc – “You Look Like Trouble (But I Guess Do Too)” – Highways Heartaches And Time Well Wasted – (Bonsound)
- Gangstagrass – “Barnburning” – American Music – (Rench Audio)
- Sleepy Man Banjo Boys – “By My Side” – By My Side – (Dreamcatcher)
- Natalia LaFourcade – “Hasta La Raiz” – Hasta La Raiz – (RCA)
- Legendary Shack Shakers – “Cold” – The Southern Surreal” – (Alternative Tentacles)
- Steelism – “Cat’s Eye Ring” – 615 To Fame – (Single Lock)
- Whiskey Kiss – “Two-Timin’ Two Step” – Dangerous One – (S/R)
- Ting Tings – “Only Love” – Super Critical – (Finca)
- Yo La Tengo – “Friday Im In Love” – Stuff Like That There – (Matador)
- Amy Blaschke – “Running Into The Fire” – Opaline – (Bird On A Lyre)
- Corb Lund – “Alt Berliner Blues” – Things That Can’t Be Undone – (New West)
- Las Cafeteras – “La Bamba Rebelde” – Las Cafeteras Remixed – (La Junta)
- Timothy O’Neil Band – “The Saloon” – Timothy O’Neil Band – (S/R)
- Grid Pickers – “29 Days” – Shack Wacky – (S/R)
- Vivants – “By And By” – Bluegrass Special – (S/R)
- Rose’s Pawn Shop – “What Were You Waiting For” – Gravity Well – (S/R)
- Yawpers – “Beale Street Blues” – American Man – (Bloodshot)
- Pokey La Farge And The South City 1 – “Something In The Water” – Something In The Water – (Rounder)
- Caitlin Anne Webster – “Black Moon” – Black Moon – (S/R)
- Secret Club – “Circle K” – Apocalypse Meow – (American Echo)
- Neil Young + Promise Of The Real – “A Rock Star Bucks A Coffee Shop” – The Monsanto Years – (Reprise)
- Nocona – “Long Gone Song” – Long Gone Song – (S/R)
- Cedar Shakes – “Ramblin’ Lips” – The Western Road – (What Bang)
- Russell Hoke – “Bewilthered” – Through The Hardship Of Seasons – (Unheard Of)
- Bela Fleck and Chick Corea – “Mountain” – Two – (Stretch)
- Joe Ely – “Cold Black Hammer” – Panhandle Rambler – (Rack ‘Em)
- Raina Rose and Rebecca Loebe – “Dublin Blues” – Three Nights Live – (Goose Creek)
- Mantles – “Undelivered” – Memory – (Slumberland)
- Jessica Lee Wilkes – “Something’s Goin’ On” – Lone Wolf- (Free Dirt)
BEST COMPILATIONS OF 2015
- I’m Just Like You: Sly’s Stone Flower 1969-70 – (Light in the Attic)
- Native North America Vol. 1 – (Light in the Attic)
THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING WHO PLAYED LIVE WITH ME ON KALX IN 2015
- Annie Bacon And Her Oshen
- Crying Time
- Rene De La Prade
- Eight Belles
- Front Country
- Dave Ricketts (Gaucho)
- Hot Toddies
- Mountain Men Collective
- Octomutt
- Quiet Life
- Emily Bonn and the Vivants
- Whiskey And Women
The Muse’s Best of 2015 (no order)
- Imelda May – Mayhem (Decca)
- Barrence Whitfield And The Savages – Under the Savage Sky (Bloodshot)
- Deadly Orgone Radiation (w/ Weasel Walter) – Power Trips (Deadly Orgone)
- Juke Joint Pimps – Boogie Pimps (Voodoo Rhythm)
- Lydia Lunch Retrovirus – Urge to Kill (Widowspeak)
- Bomba Estereo – Amanecer (Soly)
- Eleventh Dream Day – Works for Tomorrow (Thrill Jockey)
- The Gravel Spreaders – Skidmarks (Hot In The Hole)
- Silvertron Youth Choir – Our God is a Possum God (Ten Dollar)
- Alex Carlin Band – Are You Better Than My Girlfriend? (S/R)
- Eleven Acorn Lane – Time for Tea (Wooden Hat)
- Meat Wave – Delusion Moon (Side One Dummy)
- Ragpicker String Band – The Ragpicker String Band (Yellow Dog)
- Michael Vlatkovich Septet – Ask 7 (Pfmentum)
- Terence Blanchard – Breathless (Blue Note)
- The Claudettes – No Hotel (Yellow Dog)
- Chick Corea & Bela Fleck – Two (Stretch)
- Ice (International Contemporary) – In the Light of Air (Sono Luminus)
- Mark Weber & Michael Vlatkovic – Elasticity (Pfmentum)
18 of My Favorite Releases of 2015 (alphabetical order)
- 11 Acorn Lane – Time for Tea (Wooden Hat)
- Courtney Barnett – Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit (Mom & Pop)
- Bomba Estereo – Amanecer (Sony Music Latin)
- Boss Moxi – Oddball (S/R)
- Caravan Palace – Robot Face (Le Plan)
- Empress Of – Me (Terrible)
- Fillamosta – Like It Is (aagoo)
- Flower & McLaren – One plus One (Little Cat)
- Ezra Furman – Perpetual Motion People (Bella Union)
- Girlpool – Before the World Was Big (Wichita)
- Jose Gonzalez – Vestiges and Claws (Mute)
- Grimes – Art Angels (4AD)
- Elle King – Love Stuff (RCA)
- La Luz – Weirdo Shrine (Hardly Art)
- Mass Bass – Movement Movin’ (S/R)
- Sleater-Kinney – No Cities to Love (Sub Pop)
- Taraf de Locos – S/T (S/R)
- The Twerps – Range Anxiety (Merge)
7 Awesome Albums of 2015
- Blur – The Magic Whip (Warner Bros.)
- Mikal Cronin – MCIII (Merge)
- Dungen – Allas Sak (Mexican Summer)
- Eleventh Dream Day – Works For Tomorrow (VBR)
- Jacco Gardner – Hypnophobia (Polyvinyl)
- Kurt Vile – B’lieve I’m Goin’ Down (Matador)
- Wand – 1000 Days (Drag City)
7 Splendid Songs of 2015
- Sarah Cracknell – “Nothing Left to Talk About (feat. Nicky Wire)” – Red Kite (Cherry Red)
- Eskimeaux – “Broken Necks” – O.K. (Double Double Whammy)
- Robert Pollard – “Café of Elimination – Faulty Superheroes (GBV, Inc.)
- Sweet Baboo – “Got To Hang On To You” – The Boombox Ballads (Moshi Moshi)
- Warm Soda – “I Wanna Know Her” – Symbolic Dream (Castle Face)
- Wire – “Blogging” – Wire (Pink Flag)
- Neil Young & Promise Of The Real – “People Want To Hear About Love” – The Monsanto Years (VBR)
7 (+3) Amazing Acts of 2015
- The Wombats – Rickshaw Stop, January 22
- Magma – Slim’s, April 8
- Sir Richard Bishop – Brick and Mortar, April 28
- Fuzz – Great American Music Hall, May 20
- Neutral Milk Hotel – Phoenix Theater, June 11
- Burger Boogaloo – Mosswood Park, July 4-5
- Mac McCaughan + The Non-Beleivers – Rickshaw Stop, September 17
- Neil Young & Promise Of The Real – Berkeley Greek Theater, October 17
- The Ex & Ken Vandermark, Surplus 1980 – Bottom of the Hill, October 29
- An Acoustic Evening with Yo La Tengo featuring Dave Shramm -The Masonic, November 14
Ten Favorite Songs of 2015 (in alphabetical order)
- Friendly Males – “Done It Again” – Nopalera (Lolipop)
- Girlpool – “Ideal World” – Before the World Was Big (Wichita Recordings)
- Hop Along – “Powerful Man” – Painted Shut (Saddle Creek)
- Los Daddys – “Cumbia Sin Calzones” – 7” single (Disco Mas)
- MJ’s Brass Boppers – “Ya Know, Ya Know” – online single
- Olivia Cheney – “Too Social” – “The Longest River (Nonesuch)
- Purity Ring – “Begin Again” – “Another Eternity” (4AD)
- Seemway – “LED Marquee” – online single
- Willie Dunn – “I Pity the Country” – V/A Native North America (Light in the Attic)
- Worriers – “Plans” – Imaginary Life (Don Giovanni)