Best Albums Of 2015

Modest Mouse were no Strangers in 2015

    
      As the year comes to an end, it's always refreshing to look back at all the great albums that found their way into our headphones, iPods, and car stereos.


Best Albums Of 2015

25. Blur  -  The Magic Whip

24.  Kurt Vile  -  b'lieve i'm goin down 

23.  Courtney Barnett  -  Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit

22.  Sufjan Stevens  -  Carrie & Lowell

21.  The Wombats  -  Glitterbug

20.  Muse  -  Drones

19.  Bjork  -  Vulnicura

18.  Jamie xx  -  In Colour

17.  Coheed and Cambria  -  The Color Before The Sun

16.  Grimes  -  Art Angels

15.  Wilco  -  Star Wars

14.  Bully  -  Feels Like

13.  Deerhunter  -  Fading Frontier

12.  Sleater-Kinney  -  No Cities To Love

11.  Alabama Shakes  -  Sound & Color

10.  Death Cab For Cutie  -  Kintsugi

9.  Wolf Alice  -  My Love Is Cool

8.  Toro Y Moi  -  What For?

7.  Kendrick Lamar  -  To Pimp A Butterfly

6.  Foals  -  What Went Down

5.  My Morning Jacket  -  The Waterfall

4.  The Dead Weather  -  Dodge and Burn

3.  Tame Impala  -  Currents

2.  Panda Bear  -  Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper

1.  Modest Mouse  -  Strangers To Ourselves

  

Check in every month for the latest in alternative music.

For more, follow Steve Ferris on Twitter: @SteveFerris7

Monthly Mix: March 2015

Modest Mouse become Strangers To Ourselves

     

     While the majority of the country was caught up in the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament, otherwise known as March Madness, there was another madness going around in the form of exciting fresh music.

     Washington indie-rockers Modest Mouse are topping the charts with their first album in eight years entitled Strangers To Ourselves [March 17th, via Epic].  Consisting of fifteen songs that are reminiscent of the band's vintage sound, it bobs and weaves through emotional highs and lows. On "Pups To Dust" frontman Isaac Brock wonders how we got here and if there's a bigger purpose or if maybe we should just wander. Check out the band as their tour swings through the U.S. & the U.K. and includes festival gigs at Sasquatch, Firefly, and Forecastle.

     As the snow melts away and the gardens begin to bloom, it's an added bonus that the mp3 players are also rejuvenated with fresh new cuts.

March 2015 Playlist

1.  My Morning Jacket  -  "Big Decisions"

2.  Absofacto  -  "Dissolve"

3.  Modest Mouse  -  "Pups To Dust"

4.  In The Valley Below  -  "Peaches"

5.  Lord Huron  -  "Fool For Love"

6.  Mumford & Sons  -  "Believe"

7.  The Mowgli's  -  "I'm Good"

8.  of Montreal  -  "Bassem Sabry"

9.  Muse  -  "Dead Inside"

10.  Penguin Prison  -  "Never Gets Old"

11.  Madeon  -  "Pay No Mind" ft. Passion Pit

12.  Snoop Dogg  -  "Peaches N Cream" ft. Charlie Wilson

Check in every month for the latest in alternative music.

Visit iTunes if interested in purchasing any songs featured in Orbit Sound!

For more, follow Steve Ferris on Twitter: @SteveFerris7

Monthly Mix: December 2014

The Smashing Pumpkins visit a Monument To An Elegy


     The presents were plentiful this December and the music world also handed out a few gifts of its own just before the clock struck midnight.
     Chicago Illinois alt-rockers The Smashing Pumpkins have been riding high on the waves of their new album Monument To An Elegy [December 5, via BMG]. The nine tracks are laced with synths, hard hitting guitars, and feature Tommy Lee on the drums. Pumpkins' frontman Billy Corgan says he's surprised by the muddled reviews his new effort is getting, but understands the critics said the same thing about his earlier releases. On the cut "Drum + Fife", an acoustic guitar and a scintillating synth-line lead to the album's best work. The band will play big slots at the Lollapalooza 2015 South America festivals in support.
     As the year winds down, its nice to reflect on all the great memories, experiences, and awesome tunes of course! The December Playlist may be the last one of the year, but it is still jam-packed with enough fresh tracks to keep the elves busy for next year.


December 2014 Playlist

1.  Soft Pyramids  -  "Around This Town"

2.  Modest Mouse  -  "Lampshades On Fire"

3.  The Smashing Pumpkins  -  "Drum + Fife"

4.  Rise Against  -  "Tragedy + Time"

5.  Max Frost  -  "Let Me Down Easy"

6.  Joywave  -  "Somebody New"

7.  The Kickdrums  -  "Breathe Again"

8.  Crescendo  -  "Call Cards"

9.  alt-J  -  "Every Other Freckle"

10.  Misun  -  "Penny"

11.  The Airborne Toxic Event  -  "Wrong"

12.  Vance Joy  -  "Mess Is Mine"

IN THE BONUS:

Here are Orbit Sound's Favorite Songs of 2014.


Favorite Songs Of 2014

15.  Tove Lo  -  "Habits (Stay High)"

14.  The Black Keys  -  "Gotta Get Away"

13.  Big Data  -  "Dangerous" ft. Joywave

12.  The War On Drugs  -  "Red Eyes"

11.  Mike Doughty  -  "Light Will Keep Your Heart Beating In The Future"

10.  Bleachers  -  "I Wanna Get Better"

9.  Weezer  -  "Back To The Shack"

8.  Jack White  -  "Lazaretto"

7.  Foo Fighters  -  "Outside"

6.  Bear Hands  -  "Agora"

5.  Cloud Nothings  -  "I'm Not Part Of Me" 

4.  Spoon  -  "Inside Out"

3.  Foster The People  -  "Coming Of Age"

2.  moe.  -  "Same Old Story"

1.  Tokyo Police Club  -  "Argentina (Parts I, II, III)"

There you have it folks, 2014 is in the books. Have a fun and safe New Year's Eve!

Visit iTunes if interested in purchasing any songs featured in Orbit Sound.

For more, follow Steve Ferris on Twitter: @SteveFerris7