#1 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

Every Open Eye by Chvrches

You could see this one coming a mile away. I’ve talked a lot about this album all year, and the Top 31 is chockablock with bands that sound just like this band. But none of them are as good as Chvrches.

You may remember them from their debut album, The Bones of What You Believe, which was #4 in 2013. I didn’t think Bones could be topped, and when I first heard Every Open Eye, I’d believed that. And then I listened to it again. And again. And again. I’ve been listening to it pretty much non-stop since it arrived in late September. That‘s when I knew.

Chvrches is a trio from Glasgow, Scotland. Lauren Mayberry sings lead vocals (and sometimes plays synthesizers and samplers). Iain Cook plays synthesizers (and sometimes guitar, bass, and sings backup vocals — and even lead on a couple songs). And Martin Doherty also plays synthesizers and samplers (and sings backup vocals). Strong female-led vocals on top of synthesizers; Chvrches is defining the synth-pop genre, one glorious song after another.

The video above, for “Empty Threat,” is a fun video, but it’s not the best song on the album. That would have to be “Clearest Blue,” but sadly there’s only a lyric video for that song. You can also see a video for “Leave a Trace” and a couple other lyric videos. “Clearest Blue” is the climax of this album, and demonstrates what makes this band so great. There’s nothing truly surprising about what they do. It’s derivative pop, but isn’t that what pop is all about: taking a well-defined set of tools and changing things around slightly to make it your own? That’s what Chvrches does, and they do it superbly.

I’m somewhat disappointed to say that this is only the second time a woman has topped the Bacon Top 31 in the seven years I’ve been compiling this list (Fiona Apple did it in 2012). Not only that, but I enjoyed more women-led bands in 2015 then ever before, at 10 acts. (In 2009 there were five, 2010 and 2011 just one(!), 2012 and 2013 there were six each, and last year there were nine. This is a good trend.)

While researching for this article I came across this video of Lauren Mayberry singing a duet with former #1 one band on the Top 31, The National, at this year’s Treasure Island Music Festival. Following that, there was this fun little interview between Mayberry and The National’s lead singer Matt Berninger about that performance and other lead-singer #firstworldproblems. Watch that second video and you’ll get to hear Berninger say about The National: “We are the mop bucket of indie rock,” and Mayberry about her musical ability: “I’m the emotional litmus test.” I want to have dinner with them both.

What a great year for music. It took me a while to realize that Every Open Eye deserved to be the #1 album, but after listening to it for the hundredth time, and realizing the staying power their previous album has had in my ears, it’s clear I’m going to be listening to this band well beyond the time it would be merely embarrassing for my son to admit. I look forward to being a grandpa and reminiscing about this band. Or, who knows, maybe they’ll still be producing music then, a la The Rolling Stones. Wouldn’t that be something!

I hope you’ve enjoyed the countdown as much as I have. I’m already listening to things that will be on next years countdown, but did I miss anything this year? Let me know! I always have a couple albums that I regret not having heard sooner (like the San Fermin album Jackrabbit, which I didn’t hear until a couple weeks ago). Until next year…

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2. Coming Home by Leon Bridges
3. My Love Is Cool by Wolf Alice
4. Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens
5. Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett
6. I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty
7. Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes
8. Another Eternity by Purity Ring
9. Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance by Belle and Sebastian
10. Return to the Moon by El Vy
11. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by Lin-Manuel Miranda
12. Art Angels by Grimes
13. The Horse Comanche by Chadwick Stokes
14. Grace Love & the True Loves by Grace Love & the True Loves
15. Shake Shook Shaken by The dø
16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#2 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

Coming Home by Leon Bridges

You’d be forgiven if you thought the album at #2 was recorded in the early sixties and only surfaced this year. Coming Home,Leon Bridges’ debut album, is 60s soul through and through. Bridges, a 26-year-old from Ft. Worth, Texas, is the living definition of “throw back.”

He is the second coming of Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, and I don’t say that lightly. When playing this album for my dad (who lived through the 60s and enjoyed this type of music when it first came out) this past weekend, his reaction was positive. “I’ve always thought bands shouldn’t try to recreate the sound of a different era with new songs,” he said. “You can duplicate the sound, but they’re never successful in making a hit. But this is different. I like this.”

The album is retro to a fault, however. In the 50 years that have transpired since soul music first hit the scene, recording techniques have improved drastically. But Bridges and his recording engineer took the making of Coming Home to the extreme, making it sound like it was recorded on vintage equipment (it may very well have, but I can’t find evidence of that anywhere). The vocals sound tinny, the production a touch unclean, like we’re listening to a reel-to-reel tape rather than crisp digital or warm vinyl.

Even the design of the album cover is historic. Check it out:

This album is perfect from start to finish. My favorite track on the album is the last track, “River,” a slow, gospel-tinged tune that hits you in all the right spots.

In addition to the video for “Coming Home,” above, there are a lot of places to see and hear more from Bridges. I suggest watching them all:

• Video for “Smooth Sailing”
• Video for “Better Man”
• NPR Tiny Desk Concert
• Take Away Show performance of “River”

No. 1 is coming up tomorrow. If you’ve been paying attention, it should be painfully obvious what’s coming up. I’m still looking forward to writing about it!

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3. My Love Is Cool by Wolf Alice
4. Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens
5. Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett
6. I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty
7. Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes
8. Another Eternity by Purity Ring
9. Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance by Belle and Sebastian
10. Return to the Moon by El Vy
11. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by Lin-Manuel Miranda
12. Art Angels by Grimes
13. The Horse Comanche by Chadwick Stokes
14. Grace Love & the True Loves by Grace Love & the True Loves
15. Shake Shook Shaken by The dø
16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#3 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

My Love Is Cool by Wolf Alice

The band here at #3 on this year’s Top 31 comes with what I feel has had the most success, at least in the musical circles that I frequent. Wolf Alice, from North London, are a heavily-produced foursome led by original founding members Ellie Rowsell on vocals and backup guitar and Joff Oddie on lead guitar and backup vocals. Those two started the band as a duo in 2010, but then it grew to a traditional rock n’ roll foursome in 2012 with the addition of Theo Ellis on bass and Joel Amey on drums.

This album has been a long time coming, as My Love Is Cool is their debut, collecting the best of the songs they’ve been performing since 2012. There’s a lot of references heard throughout this album, spanning the 80s through to today. I can pinpoint sounds that remind me of all of the following: The Breeders, Garbage, Cranberries, Dubstar, Silversun Pickups, Sleigh Bells, and The Runaways. I’m sure there’s more, but that should give you a good sense of what their sound is like. Rock pop, through and through.

And the album has been heavily promoted, too, with no less than six different songs from the 13-song debut getting the video treatment. There’s “You’re A Germ,” above, and these other five videos, all of which are good songs both sonically and visually:

• “Fluffy”
• “Bros”
• “Moaning Lisa Smile”
• “Giant Peach”
• “Freazy”

Go ahead and watch them all, I’ll wait here until you’re done.

Now then. I know your next move: head to your nearest online or IRL music purveyor and purchase this album. #2 coming tomorrow!

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4. Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens
5. Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett
6. I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty
7. Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes
8. Another Eternity by Purity Ring
9. Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance by Belle and Sebastian
10. Return to the Moon by El Vy
11. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by Lin-Manuel Miranda
12. Art Angels by Grimes
13. The Horse Comanche by Chadwick Stokes
14. Grace Love & the True Loves by Grace Love & the True Loves
15. Shake Shook Shaken by The dø
16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#4 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens

Well look who’s setting a dangerous precedent. The last time Sufjan Stevens was on the Top 31, his album The Age of Adz came in at #3 in 2010. And now, here at #4, that’s really saying something: Legendary; Legacy; I’ll be listening to this artist for the rest of my life. And that really shouldn’t be a surprise, given how enamored I was with his 2005 album Illinois. If this trend holds, he’s going to come out with an amazing album every five years.

If you enjoyed Adz like I did, then Carrie & Lowell will feel like a major departure. It’s more Illinois than Adz, but even with the technological layers of Adz stripped away, Carrie & Lowell is quintessential Sufjan. Made up of almost whispered singing and finger-picking guitar, C&L is quiet to the core. It causes you to lean in, to take a moment and really process what Sufjan is singing about. And that’s when it hits you: he’s singing about mortality, existence, and the human condition, and it’s gorgeous.

According to Pitchfork (who put this album at #6 on the year), “‘Carrie’ is the troubled mother Stevens hardly knew, who died in 2012; ‘Lowell’ is the loving step-father who to this day helps run Stevens’ independent record label.” If you were singing about your recently deceased mother and your widower step-father, you, too, would be feeling a bit existential.

Side note: with five years between each of his last three albums, it’s interesting how it doesn’t feel like that’s how the time has been structured between these great albums. Illinois feels like it’s been with me forever, and Adz feels like I was only hearing it for the first time just last year. I wonder how Carrie & Lowell will feel in five years’ time.

This is a beautiful album. I recommend picking it up and listening with intention (something I rarely do), like reading a good book. I hope it makes you feel every bit as alive as it does me.

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5. Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett
6. I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty
7. Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes
8. Another Eternity by Purity Ring
9. Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance by Belle and Sebastian
10. Return to the Moon by El Vy
11. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by Lin-Manuel Miranda
12. Art Angels by Grimes
13. The Horse Comanche by Chadwick Stokes
14. Grace Love & the True Loves by Grace Love & the True Loves
15. Shake Shook Shaken by The dø
16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#5 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

Sometimes I Sit And Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit by Courtney Barnett

Much like Royal Headache — who were featured at #31 on the list — Courtney Barnett is Australian and likes to rock. Technically Sometimes I Sit And Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, is her debut album, even though we’ve been hearing her for at least two years thanks to the good EPs she’s had floating around since 2011.

We’re now in the top five of the countdown, which means you really should buy this album right now. KEXP listeners rated it #1 in 2015. I wanted to, too, but believe it or not, there are four more albums that came out this year that are better than this one.

That said, Sometimes is solid three-part rock & roll from start to finish. When performing live (example here, for KEXP, last year), Barnett sings in a low punk-rock voice, a la (ugh) Courtney Love. But recorded, her voice is a little more clear, with a bit more enunciation, reminding me of a younger PJ Harvey or Liz Phair.

As for songwriting, her lyrics are fantastic. The stories she tells, somehow both deeply personal and universal at the same time, carry you along and remind you of places you’ve been in your own life. At 27, Barnett is wise beyond her years, but it works.

There are many good songs on this album, and there are a few good videos as well. In addition to the great animation for “Dead Fox” above, there’s “Pedestrian at Best,” which I wrote about earlier this year, as wellas videos for two more great songs: “Depreston” and “Nobody Really Cares If You Don’t Go To The Party.” I don’t see how you can draw anything other than the same conclusion I did: this woman kicks ass.

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6. I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty
7. Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes
8. Another Eternity by Purity Ring
9. Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance by Belle and Sebastian
10. Return to the Moon by El Vy
11. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by Lin-Manuel Miranda
12. Art Angels by Grimes
13. The Horse Comanche by Chadwick Stokes
14. Grace Love & the True Loves by Grace Love & the True Loves
15. Shake Shook Shaken by The dø
16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#6 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

I Love You, Honeybear by Father John Misty

It took me a long time to claim I was a Father John Misty fan with a straight face. Don’t get me wrong, his music has always been great (his debut album was #14 on the 2012 Top 31). But he is clearly taking the piss of the entire indie rock music business with every move he makes. He makes me want to make excuses for everything I listen to.

Start with the name. Father John Misty is the stage name for Josh Tillman, formerly of the Fleet Foxes and many other projects, and it is clearly a put-on. Nobody picks that name and means it.

Secondly, his performance style is best described as “extreme crooner.” He prances around on stage, making love to his mic stand, throwing his head and his hips around, pointing at the audience — it’s all brilliantly funny, and makes his shows an absolute delight, but you can’t take it seriously.

Lastly, some of his lyrics are so ego-driven, so over-the-top, that it’s hard to get behind him. (Read my review of “The Night Josh Tillman Came To Our Apartment” from earlier this year for further explanation.)

But behind him I’ve now gotten, fully. He’s proven he’s not a flash in the pan, now with two phenomenal albums under his belt. Don’t let the song or video above sway you one way or the other. I suggest giving the album a full time through once or twice before passing judgment. It takes a little while to seep in, but once it does, you won’t want to let go.

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7. Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes
8. Another Eternity by Purity Ring
9. Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance by Belle and Sebastian
10. Return to the Moon by El Vy
11. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by Lin-Manuel Miranda
12. Art Angels by Grimes
13. The Horse Comanche by Chadwick Stokes
14. Grace Love & the True Loves by Grace Love & the True Loves
15. Shake Shook Shaken by The dø
16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#7 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

Sound & Color by Alabama Shakes

Merry Christmas, everybody! Bluesy rock has had its day on the Top 31, but 2015 hasn’t been it, with one exception. Alabama Shakes, with their sophomore album Sound & Color, have created something entirely outstanding from — and completely antithetical to — the synth pop bands that have taken over the Top 31.

The band is led by Brittany Howard, whose strong, pushed-to-the-max voice and masterful guitar work, along with lead guitarist Heath Fogg, bassist Zac Cockrell, keyboard player Ben Tanner, and drummer Steve Johnson, present a sound unlike anything else being produced today. You’d have to go back a few decades, to the likes of Janis Joplin or the Muscle Shoals bands of the sixties, to find something comparable.

I had the luxury of seeing Alabama Shakes at SXSW in 2012 (at the famous Stubbs, opening for a back-from-the-dead Fiona Apple), just before they released their fantastic debut album Boys & Girls (which, as a major oversight, didn’t end up on the Top 31 that year). They killed it, expectedly. Listen to this album and you’ll understand why. They are powerful, heartfelt, and deep. This is a band that’s going to keep producing wonderful music. Get in on it now, lest you fall behind.

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8. Another Eternity by Purity Ring
9. Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance by Belle and Sebastian
10. Return to the Moon by El Vy
11. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by Lin-Manuel Miranda
12. Art Angels by Grimes
13. The Horse Comanche by Chadwick Stokes
14. Grace Love & the True Loves by Grace Love & the True Loves
15. Shake Shook Shaken by The dø
16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#8 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

Another Eternity by Purity Ring

Another day on the Top 31, another synth pop duo with powerful female-led vocals. This time it’s Edmonton, Alberta, Canada’s Purity Ring, which has Megan James on vocals and Corin Roddick on the instrumentation. This marks the fourth band on the countdown all with a similar sound — not that anyone is counting.

Much like the dø, which were featured at #15, Purity Ring is a duo that’s all power chords and soaring vocals. Another Eternity, which came out in March, is the band’s second album (Shrines came out in 2012, which I haven’t yet listened to). One of the nicer things about Another Eternity is that it’s actually difficult to pick just one song as my favorite. There are fantastic songs scattered across this album.

“Heartsigh,” shown above, is the opening track. I’ll go on record and state that this video is ridiculous. Thankfully the song is not. If you like what you hear in the video, I suggest devouring the rest of the album, too, because it’s fantastic.

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9. Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance by Belle and Sebastian
10. Return to the Moon by El Vy
11. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by Lin-Manuel Miranda
12. Art Angels by Grimes
13. The Horse Comanche by Chadwick Stokes
14. Grace Love & the True Loves by Grace Love & the True Loves
15. Shake Shook Shaken by The dø
16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#9 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance by Belle and Sebastian

It’s been five years since Belle and Sebastian came out with Write About Love, which reached #13 on the 2010 Top 31. I can’t say I’ve listened much at all to that album since then. I believe Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, their ninth record, will be different.

Belle and Sebastian, from Glasgow, Scotland, are what I would call twee pop. You can easily imagine a Wes Anderson movie with a Belle and Sebastian soundtrack (come on guys, make this happen!). Up until now, strings and soft-spoken story-based lyrics have been their stock in trade. But Peacetime has them trying a new direction: dance pop. There are many songs on this album that don’t sound very traditional Belle and Sebastian, but I’m overjoyed that after 20 years they’re still pushing the boundaries. Songs like “The Party Line,” “Enter Sylvia Plath,” “Perfect Couples” (be sure to watch the amazing video above), and “Play for Today,” my personal favorite from the album, all have a driving beat that makes me want to get up and dance.

If you’ve had trouble getting into Belle and Sebastian in the past, I urge you to give this album a test run. You may be pleasantly surprised by the differences you hear. And if you’ve been a fan of Belle and Sebastian for a long time, you may not like the new direction they’ve headed. For me, they’ve always been great, and I don’t think of this move as good or bad. It’s a different sound, and it’s that ability to be different that I applaud.

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10. Return to the Moon by El Vy
11. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by Lin-Manuel Miranda
12. Art Angels by Grimes
13. The Horse Comanche by Chadwick Stokes
14. Grace Love & the True Loves by Grace Love & the True Loves
15. Shake Shook Shaken by The dø
16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#10 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

Return to the Moon by El Vy

We’ve made it to the top 10 albums of 2015! Coming in at #10 is the other band I hinted at in my review of Gunnera, by Pfarmers, which came in at #27. El Vy is another group made of pieces and parts from Menomena and The National, and this is the better of the two, because it’s the one that has Matt Berninger on vocals and Brent Knopf on keyboards / backup vocals.

I always preferred Knopf’s songs in Menomena more than the songs written by Danny Seim or Justin Harris. His more recent project, Ramona Falls, felt very much like a full version of what amounted to usually no more than a third of each Menomena album. I was surprised to hear that El Vy doesn’t sound like Brent Knopf’s songs. That’s mostly because Berninger does all the lead vocals, although I can imagine that Berninger and Knopf’s combined songwriting skills are particularly good when they’re working together.

This is a solid rock & roll album. Guitars, drums, keyboards — all the elements are there, including Berninger’s signature baritone. You’ve most likely heard The National before, and to the casual listener, this will sound like The National to you. You can hear other songs from the album over on YouTube, where the band has a few glorified lyric videos. Pick up the album. You won’t be disappointed.

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11. Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by Lin-Manuel Miranda
12. Art Angels by Grimes
13. The Horse Comanche by Chadwick Stokes
14. Grace Love & the True Loves by Grace Love & the True Loves
15. Shake Shook Shaken by The dø
16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#11 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) by Lin-Manuel Miranda

And now for something completely different. Show tunes. That’s right, the soundtrack to a Broadway musical. But not just any musical; a musical that’s “rooted in hip-hop, but also encompass[es] R. & B., jazz, pop, Tin Pan Alley, and the choral strains of contemporary Broadway,” according to _The New Yorker._ This music is unlike anything I’ve heard before, and I’m certain you’ll feel the same.

I have trouble understanding why I enjoy listening to this album so much. It’s first and foremost musical theater, which is not something I tend to gravitate to (I’m pretty sure the only other musical I’ve listened to with any regularity is the Hedwig and the Angry Inch soundtrack, and even with that it was the motion picture soundtrack version that I listened to). Additionally, I’ve not yet seen the production. Bizarre, right? Why would you possibly listen to the soundtrack from a musical without first seeing the musical?

Well, first off, you can only currently see it on Broadway, in New York City. Secondly, the show is sold out through the beginning of September, 2016. Seriously. Performances nearly every day from now through September 1, 2016 are entirely sold out. This show is musical, historical, and phenomenal. Listening to the soundtrack, you’ll understand why. I cannot wait until this goes on tour and I’ll be able to sit in the audience and sing along.

“Guns and Ships,” linked above, is my favorite song from the 2 hour, 23-minute long soundtrack. But it is high quality throughout, and it’s definitely going to sweep the Tonys in June. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the genius composer, lyricist, librettist, rapper, and actor behind the musical, began working on Hamilton in 2009. You can see him performing the opening song from the musical in front of President Obama in that year, and it’s clear when watching that performance that he’s headed to glory.

I know this is not typical for the Bacon Review, but I promise you I’m not leading you astray. I need to give special thanks to my friend Ryan, who forced me to listen to the soundtrack thanks to our mutual friend Zach forcing Ryan to listen to it. And here I am, not necessarily forcing, but imploring you to listen to it. You won’t be disappointed.

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12. Art Angels by Grimes
13. The Horse Comanche by Chadwick Stokes
14. Grace Love & the True Loves by Grace Love & the True Loves
15. Shake Shook Shaken by The dø
16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#12 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

Art Angels by Grimes

And now for the third installment of powerful female electronic pop singers here on the 2015 Bacon Top 31. I’ve been a fan of Grimes since I came across her 2012 album Visions sometime in 2013. You may remember her from this video I posted back in February of that year. Grimes is an alter-ego of Claire Boucher, a pixieish woman from just across the border, in Vancouver, BC. She is a tour de force, having written, recorded, engineered and produced the entire album herself. The only parts on the album not created by Boucher are the guest vocals on two songs, respectively from Grimes’ peers in the strong female-led pop, Taiwanese rapper Aristophanes and American performer Janelle Monáe.

There’s a lot going on within this album. According to wikipedia, Grimes learned how to play the guitar, drums, keys, ukulele, and violin for it. There’s intermittent screaming, and dark lyrics sung with her high-pitched and friendly-seeming vocals throughout, but most of it will get you moving in your seat.

With this album I’m breaking my own rules. Somehow it slipped past me that it didn’t come out until November 6, 2015, which means it technically shouldn’t be on this year’s Top 31. It’s too late now; I couldn’t just slot in some other previously-uncharted album here at #12.

I’m jealous of what Boucher has been able to accomplish by age 27. She is more talented than Madonna and less approachable overall, which makes her all the more intriguing. I can’t wait to see what she does next.

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13. The Horse Comanche by Chadwick Stokes
14. Grace Love & the True Loves by Grace Love & the True Loves
15. Shake Shook Shaken by The dø
16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#13 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

The Horse Comanche by Chadwick Stokes

I love it when we get to the point in each year’s Top 31 when every album makes me want to say “Oh my god, you’ve got to hear this album; it’s SO GOOD, from start to finish.” That’s where we find ourselves today.

The Horse Comanche by Chadwick Stokes. Oh my god, you’ve got to hear this album; it’s SO GOOD, from start to finish. Up until the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, I hadn’t heard of Chadwick Stokes. I had a short date with a woman in which we talked about the Top 31, and she recommended a handful of things she’d been listening to this year that I should check out. The dø (at #15) and Chadwick Stokes were both in her list. And while she and I didn’t fall in love, I did fall for these two albums, and for that I’ll be forever grateful. New music can come from the most unusual of places, but personal recommendations are always preferred.

I hear many familiar inluences in the soft but strong songs from Stokes and company, from Elliot Smith to Paul Simon to the little known Seattle artist Tim Seely (whose 2005 album Funeral Music feels like a sibling to The Horse Comanche). You can hear the whole album over on Bandcamp, and here’s a great Tiny Desk Concert from April of this year.

I’m a big fan of the video above, for the song “Our Lives Our Time,” which is my current favorite on the album (but that will probably change tomorrow — there’s so many good songs on this record!). The video has all the right elements for a video: it’s simple but effective, and keeps you watching through the whole thing to see what changes as the camera slowly spins. The changing dates on the billboard in the background appear to relate to various key civil rights moments on Earth, from the release of Mandela from prison to Massachusettes becoming the first state to legalize gay marriage.

I’m surprised I haven’t heard Stokes on KEXP this year, or maybe I have but it was before I was paying attention. If you love the bulk of the albums I mention on the Bacon Review, then you’ll love this album, too. It’s too good to pass up.

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14. Grace Love & the True Loves by Grace Love & the True Loves
15. Shake Shook Shaken by The dø
16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#14 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

Grace Love & the True Loves by Grace Love & the True Loves

And now for the first Seattle band on the countdown, and it’s a doozy. Grace Love and the True Loves don’t sound like what you’d imagine is “the Seattle sound,” but as a city we’re not new to the soul scene.

This band has it all, across eight members. Powerful, room-filling vocals from the one and only Grace Love herself; a tight, three-piece horn section; perfect guitar and bass; and drums and percussion holding it all together. This is emotion-inducing, life fulfilling music. They don’t call it soul for nothing.

If you’re a fan of Aretha, or more recently, Sharon Jones (whose own album was #12 on the countdown last year), then you’ll definitely like Grace Love and the True Loves. Get it, now.

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15. Shake Shook Shaken by The dø
16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#15 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

Shake Shook Shaken by The dø

You’re going to start noticing a theme here on the Top 31. This band, The dø, from Paris, fits a mold you first heard at #17 in the Swedish band, Amason: strong, lyrical, female vocals backed by a mix of analog and synthesized electrified sound. I’m not sure if it’s me that’s in a phase that is particularly drawn to this formula, or if there just happens to be a plethora of really good indie pop music coming out right now. Either way, I’m happy.

Shake Shook Shaken is the band’s third full-length, and it technically came out in 2014 in other parts of the world, but since I didn’t hear of it until recently, I’m using the U.S. release date (January 27, 2015) to allow the album to be on this year’s countdown. It’s my Top 31, dammit. I do what I want.

Plus, this album is so good, I want to give it maximum exposure. The dø are a duo, Olivia Merilahti and Dan Levy, who met ten years ago. I haven’t been able to check out their other two albums, but I hope to soon. According to the peak chart positions of their albums, as shown on Wikipedia, the French sure do love them some dø. I’m guessing you will, too.

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16. La Di Da Di by Battles
17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#16 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

La Di Da Di by Battles

We’re at the heart of the Top 31 now. #16 on the countdown, on the 16th day of the month, the epicenter. Battles is as good a band as any to represent the mid-point of this year’s list. They’re probably one of the more difficult bands to get into on the list, but once you get past that barrier of entry, there’s plenty to like about them.

This is the second time this New York based experimental, prog- and/or math-rock band has appeared on the countdown. Their 2011 album Gloss Drop was #21 that year. For that album, they were struggling with the departure of the one person in the group that provided vocals on a few songs (check out their excellent debut, Mirrored, to hear what Tyondai Braxton sounds like in the band). They successfully replaced him with guest vocals from Gary Numan, among others. For their new album, La Di Da Di, they went minimalist. There are no vocals on this album, and it’s better for it.

Electronic noises of all kinds, backed by John Stanier’s amazing drumming, and you’ve got a unique sound unmatched by any other act out there today. Listen to the song featured in the rather boring video above, “The Yabba.” If you like what you hear, you’ll enjoy the rest of the album. I recommend putting it on in the background and giving it a few listens before moving on (if you must). I bet it’ll seep in enough to stick around longer than you expect.

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17. Sky City by Amason
18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#17 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

Sky City by Amason

I like Sweden. Like Iceland, if an album from a Swedish artist lands in my lap, I’ll most likely enjoy it. Amason is the second Swedish band on this year’s countdown. Another Swedish favorite of mine, Dungen, also came out with a new album this year, and I didn’t hear it until I’d already started the countdown, unfortunately too late to get it into the countdown.

All three of these Swedish bands mentioned above have connections beyond their country of origin. Amanda Bergman (also known as Idiot Wind), lead singer of Amason, used to be married to Kristian Matsson (also known as The Tallest Man on Earth, and whose divorce from Bergman creatively fueled his album Dark Bird is Home, #26 on this year’s countdown). Gustav Ejstes, guitarist in Amason, is a founding member of Dungen. Amason could be called a “Swedish super group” in the same sense that Broken Social Scene is a “Canadian super group.” I’m a big fan of super groups. Pooling talent always seems to net great music.

Amason is no different. I first featured them on the Bacon Review back in February, when they were suggested to me by a Swedish friend of mine. Since then I’ve listened to the album many, many times. It falls into the psychedelic-indie-rock mold, with lots of echo-chamber vocals and time signature changes. If you’ve liked Dungen or other prog- / psych-rock acts in the past, you’ll have a lot to like in Sky City.

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18. What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists
19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#18 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World by The Decemberists

Oh how the mighty have fallen. From #2 in 2009, to #3 in 2011, and now all the way down to #18 for this year’s Top 31, The Decemberists are still great amongst most of the music being produced today. But compared to themselves, they’ve done better.

What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World has some fantastic moments, and some great music videos that go along with them. And I’ve posted about all of them over the past year. Check out the video for “Make You Better,” starring Nick Offerman; or “Cavalry Captain,” which was a video, a phone number to call, and a few other odd turns, all used to promote the off-shoot EP Florasongs, which also came out in October of this year; or the cream of the crop, “A Beginning Song,” as a simple lyric video, downplaying the visuals to allow the beauty of the music to shine through.

Thanks to all those earlier posts, and for lack of a new music videos to post, I’ve instead placed a strange video from Jimmy Kimmel Live above (edit: apparently they took the video down, so instead I’ve put up a different video for your enjoyment), where the Decemberists performed a handful of off-the-cuff clips, words provided by YouTube comments. It’s quite funny at times, but the snark is heavy. The band is not new to snark, but the opening song to What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World, “The Singer Addresses his Audience” is so snarky it almost spoiled the whole album for me. The song takes to task the super-fan, as well as any band that has to “sell out” to make a living. It’s the worst kind of hipster uppityness, and it’s unflattering.

Overall, there are many redeeming things about the album, if you’re able to get past the opener. Once a band gets to seven albums, you can’t expect that each new album will be better than the last. There will be lulls. And if your lull still puts you at #18 in the Top 31 (and the 2nd three-peat act this year), you’re still doing alright.

If you’re not yet familiar with The Decemberists, I suggest starting with literally any other album of theirs before diving into this one. But if you’ve liked The Decemberists in the past, I can say with confidence you’ll like this one, too. Give it a whirl.

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19. Untethered Moon by Built to Spill
20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#19 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

Untethered Moon by Built to Spill

And now for one of my most favorite bands. Built to Spill is the band I’ve seen perform the most (I’ll be seeing them for a sixteenth time in February). And they’re one of my longest-loved bands as well, having first heard them shortly after I moved to Seattle in 1997. They were even featured on the very first Top 31, back in 2009, at #9 with their album There is no Enemy.

There were six years between that album and Untethered Moon, but it certainly doesn’t sound like it. This is a classic Built to Spill album, and lead singer / songwriter Doug Martsch is as good today as he has been for the bulk of his songwriting career. Unlike their Pacific Northwest counterpart, Modest Mouse, whose recent output sounds nothing like their earlier work, Martsch and company have consistently put out album after album, all filling generally the same space on the musical spectrum.

There are some great songs, and some duds, on this new album, but it holds my attention from start to finish. That can probably be tied to the strength of the opening song, “All Our Songs,” and the final song on the album, “When I’m Blind” — the two longest songs on the album, both featuring a great, high-speed climax that can only be defined as that Built to Spill Sound™.

The video above, for “Never be the Same,” is an odd video experience. It centers around a gathering to watch another video that came out earlier this year, for “Living Zoo,” also from Untethered Moon. (I suggest watching that video, too, to get the full picture.) It shows Martsch going absolutely ape shit for the actor in the video, complete with strange dialog and weird cuts that make no sense other than to simply demonstrate how strange and funny Martsch is.

If you’ve liked Built to Spill at any point in the last 20 years, you will like this album. Buy it.

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20. Viet Cong by Viet Cong
21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s

#20 on the 2015 Bacon Top 31

Viet Cong by Viet Cong

The album that ushers us into the Top 20 came out way back in January, so it feels almost like it’s been around too long to be on this year’s countdown. It could also be that this album, the self-titled debut from Calgary, Alberta, Canada’s Viet Cong, sounds a bit like a couple other albums I’ve loved over the past few years — namely, the psych-rock sounds of Cloud Control and Foxygen that featured on the 2013 Bacon Top 31.

But there are other sounds, too: Animal Collective. Dungen. Jangly, dissonant guitar. Excellent use of both left and right channels (this is perfect for the headphone generation we’re currently living through), It’s a short album, only 37 minutes long. I mentioned when I linked to their NSFW video for the song “Continental Shelf” back in February that Matt Flegel’s vocals reminded me of Spencer Krug (from Moonface, Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown, and others), but listening lately, I’ve been hearing more Peter Murphy. Listen to “Silhouettes” in the video above, and you’ll hear echoes of Joy Division, Interpol, and Editors.

The references for this album are plenty (clearly), and that’s a good thing. You will recognize and love this sound when you put it on. Then let it wash over you, and realize just how good it really is.

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21. The Magic Whip by Blur
22. Savage Hills Ballroom by Youth Lagoon
23. Not Real by Stealing Sheep
24. Beat the Champ by The Mountain Goats
25. Gliss Riffer by Dan Deacon
26. Dark Bird is Home by The Tallest Man on Earth
27. Gunnera by Pfarmers
28. Swimmer to a Liquid Armchair by Ricked Wickey
29. To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar
30. Live in Seattle by Moufang / Czamanski
31. High by Royal Headache

What is the Bacon Top 31?
Past years’ Top 31s