Music Tracking 2015

These are 2015 releases that I've taken note of, listed alphabetically by artist, with VA comps at the bottom. My grades, where available, are in brackets at the end of the line (stars in B+ range). Lines in blue indicate that I have a physical copy (albeit sometimes just a promo CDR); in green are records that I graded based on a Rhapsody stream or other such source. Most records have release dates and a brief generic note (usually taken from AMG).

Unheard records are prioritized 0-3 (graded records are 4-5). The priotization is based subjectively on personal interests, reviews I've noticed, reviewers I particularly respect, what I know about the artists, etc. Roughly speaking: 0 is something I have no reason to consider (default page omits 0); 1 has been noted as having some cred somewhere; 2 is something I have some specific reason to search out; 3 is something I'll listen to ASAP.

Option selectors:

• Include priority 0
• Include priority 0, exclude rated
• Just priority 2
• Just priority 3
• Rated only
• Unrated only
• Default

Genre switches (selection not implemented yet):

• Blues
• Country
• Electronica
• Hip-Hop
• Jazz
• Metal
• All

Notes also include scores from review sources:

• AV: AV Club: A=100, A-=91, B+=83, B=75, B-=67, C+=58, C=50, C-=43, D+=33, D=25
• BB: Billboard
• CS: Consequence of Sound: letter grades like AV
• DS: Drowned in Sound [AOTY]
• HD: HipHopDX
• MO: MusicOHM [AOTY]
• P: Paste
• Pf: Pitchfork
• PM: PopMatters [AOTY]
• RA: Resident Advisor
• RS: Rolling Stone [AOTY]
• S: Spin

And after a semicolon:

• RC: Robert Christgau's Expert Witness: letter grades, 1-2-3 * for HMs

New Releases

• Daniel Bachman: River (Three Lobed) [05-19] - acoustic blues
• Tommy Castro & the Painkillers: Method to My Madness (Alligator) [10-23] - blues-rock
• Gary Clark Jr: The Story of Sonny Boy Slim (Warner Bros) [09-11] - modern electric Texas blues
• Shemekia Copeland: Outskirts of Love (Alligator) [09-11] - modern electric blues
• Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters: Father's Day (Stony Plain) [07-17] - modern electric blues
• Tinsley Ellis: Tough Love (Landslide) [02-03] - blues
• George FitzGerald: Fading Love (Domino/Double Six) [04-28] - 2-step/British garage
• Robben Ford: Into the Sun (Provogue) [03-31] - modern electric blues
• Chris Foreman: Now Is the Time (The Sirens) [01-08] - blues
• Duke Garwood: Heavy Love (Heavenly) [02-10] - modern blues -- PM:60
• Buddy Guy: Born to Play Guitar (RCA) [07-31] - blues
• Beth Hart: Better Than Home (Provogue Music Productions) [04-14] - modern electric blues
• Pete Herzog/Dennis Walker: Waiting for the Rain (self-released) [01-03] - blues
• The Kentucky Headhunters: Meet Me in Bluesland (Alligator) [06-02] - blues-rock
• John Mayall: Find a Way to Care (Forty Below) [09-04] - blues revival
• The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band: So Delicious (Shanachie) [02-27] - contemporary blues -- PM:80
• Kim Simmonds and Savoy Brown: The Devil to Pay (Ruf) - blues
• Joe Louis Walker: Everybody Wants a Place (ADA/Provogue) [10-09] - blues
• The Word: Soul Food (Vanguard) [05-05] - blues gospel

Reissues, Etc.

• Eric Clapton: Forever Man (GC/Reprice/Rhino, 2CD) [04-28] - British blues
• JB Hutto and His Hawks: Hawk Squat [Expanded Edition] (1968, Delmark) - blues
• Lead Belly: Lead Belly: The Smithsonian Folkways Collection (Smithsonian Folkways) - folk blues -- Pf:90
• Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'n' Roll (Yep Roc, 2CD) [10-30] - Memphis blues
• The Staple Singers: Freedom Highway Complete (1965, Legacy) - -- Pf:87

Priority Counts

• Priority 1: 24
• Priority 2: 0
• Priority 3: 0

Total: 24