Pop That Goes Crunch!

Top 40 Albums of 2015

We’ve taken some time off lately. Unfortunately, real life occasionally interferes with what is really important.

Nevertheless, we’re back with a run-down of the top long-players of 2015. This year, the list is expanded from 20 to 40, and there will be no list of the top songs of the year.

The decision was made to focus on longer form works, and recognize more artists for releasing music that is engaging over the course of eight or more tracks. Each of the albums on the following list would be a worthy addition to the collection of any serious music listener. A couple of entries were released in late-2014, but were were much more a part of the previous twelve months than they were of 2014.

Caddy’s The Better End captures the number 1 spot on this year’s list. The August 30, 2015 review on this site noted that Thom Dahl spiced his long-player with “rather liberal doses of layered, often jangling and chiming guitars, entrancing mid-tempo rhythms, swirling harmonies, beguiling tempo shifts and sunny, relaxed vibes straight out of early-70s Southern California.” Run, don’t walk, to your nearest electronic portal and get this record immediately, either digitally, on CD or on vinyl. Its one of the finest releases in recent years.

Although each of the long-players on this year’s list fit within the broad spectrum of melodically-based rockin’ pop, there is substantial variation in the mix, including old-school rock, acoustic pop, baroque pop, Americana, punk rock, and much more. Links are provided for your sampling, streaming and, of course, purchasing.

1.  Caddy — The Better End

2.  Pugwash — Play This Intimately (As If Among Friends)

3.  Nick Piunti — Beyond The Static

4.  William Duke — The Dark Beautiful Sun

5.  The New Trocaderos — Thrills & Chills

6.  Love Axe — South Dakota

7.  Stereo Tiger — Two Weeks

8.  The Hangabouts — Illustrated Bird

9.  The Junior League — Also Rans

10. Susan James — Sea Glass

11. Ryan Allen & His Extra Arms — Heart String Soul

12. Cleaners From Venus — Rose Of The Lanes

13. Daniel Wylie’s Cosmic Rough Riders — Chrome Cassettes

14. The Turnback — Are We There Yet?

15. Michael Carpenter — The Big Radio

16. Steve Robinson & Ed Woltil — Cycle

17. Mono In Stereo — Long For Yesterday

18. Kurt Baker — Play It Cool

19. The See See — Once, Forever & Again

20. The Nines — Night Surfer and the Cassette Kids

21. Pop4 — Summer

22. Gordon Weiss — Its About Time

23. The Popguns — Pop Fiction

24. Yorktown Lads — Songs About Girls And Other Disasters

25. Gretchen’s Wheel — Fragile State

26. Summer Fiction — Himalaya

27. Travel Lanes — Let’s Begin To Start Again

28. Joel Boyea — Here Again, And Lost

29. Three Hour Tour — Action And Heroes

30. DC Cardwell — Pop Art

31. Trip Wire — Get In & Get Out

32. Dr. Cosmo’s Tape Lab — Beyond The Silver Sea

33. Brandon Schott — Crayons & Angels

34. The Corner Laughers — Matilda Effect

35. Watts — Flash Of White Light

36. Nato Coles and The Blue Diamond Band — Promises To Deliver

37. Jonathan Rundman — Look Up

38. The Weaklings — The Weeklings

39. Plastic Macca — Sensation

40. The Connection — Labor Of Love