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:

Genre switches (selection not implemented yet):

Notes also include scores from review sources:

And after a semicolon:

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

New Releases

  • ASAP Rocky: At.Long.Last.ASAP (Polo Grounds/RCA) [05-26] - rap -- BB:80, HD:80 [**]
  • Joey Badass: B4.DA.$$ (Cinematic Music Group) [01-20] - rap -- AV:75, CS:83, HD:80, Pf:70, PM:80, RS:60, S:50 [***]
  • BadBadNotGood/Ghostface Killah: Sour Soul (Lex) [02-24] - east coast rap -- BB:80, CS:67, DS:90, HD:70, P:80, Pf:62, PM:60 [A-]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Perry Beekman: S'Wonderful: Perry Beekman Sings and Plays Gershwin
  • Big KRIT: It's Better This Way (Def Jam) [10-14] - hip hop -- CS:58, HD:80 [*]
  • Blackalicious: Imani Vol 1 (OGM) [09-18] - hip-hop -- Pf:72 [A-]
  • Action Bronson: Mr Wonderful (Atlantic/Vice) [03-23] - underground rap -- BB;80, CS:75, HD:80, RS:70, S:80 [***]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Ann Hampton Callaway: The Hope of Christmas
  • Cannibal Ox: Blade of the Ronin (IGC) [03-03] - rap -- CS:67, HD:70, Pf:67, S:80 [***]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Kenny Carr: Exit Moon
  • ERR: stream no grade: Francois Carrier/Steve Beresford/John Edwards/Michel Lambert: Outgoing
  • ERR: stream no grade: Tom Collier: Across the Bridge
  • ERR: stream no grade: Colours Jazz Orchestra: Home Away From Home: Plays the Music of Ayn Inserto
  • ERR: stream no grade: Cuir: Chez Ackenbush
  • Death Grips: The Powers That B (Electro Magnetic) [03-31] - left-field hip-hop -- RC:B+ [*]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Benoit Delbecq/Miles Perkin/Emile Biayenda: Ink
  • Doomtree: All Hands (Doomtree) [01-27] - underground rap -- CS:58, HD:70, Pf:71, PM:50 [***]
  • Drake: If You're Reading This It's Too Late (Cash Money) [02-13] - rap -- AV:67, CS:83, HD:80, Pf:83, PM:80, RS:80, S:70; RC:*** [B]
  • Drake & Future: What a Time to Be Alive (Cash Money) [09-20] - hip hop -- BB:60, HD:70; RC:** [*]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Charles Evans: On Beauty
  • ERR: stream no grade: Free Jazz Group Wiesbaden: Frictions/Frictions Now
  • Future: DS2 (Epic) [07-17] - southern rap -- BB:70, HD:80; RC:A- [***]
  • Ghostface Killah/Adrian Younge: Twelve Reasons to Die II (Linear Labs) [07-10] - east coast rap -- HD:70 [**]
  • Angel Haze: Back to the Woods (self-released) [09-14] - east-coast rap -- HD:70 [***]
  • Heems: Eat Pray Thug (Megaforce) [03-10] - left-field hip-hop -- AV:75, CS:67, HD:70, Pf:63, PM:70, RS:70, S:80; RC:A, MT:A [A-]
  • I Love Makonnen: Drink More Water 5 (OVO Sound) [03-31] - mixtape [**]
  • The Internet: Ego Death (Odd Future/Columbia) [06-30] - neo-soul -- CS:75, HD:80, Pf:74, PM:80, RS:70 [**]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Andrew Jamieson: Heard the Voice
  • ERR: stream no grade: Jeff Jenkins Organization: The Arrival
  • JME: Integrity (Boy Better Know) [05-12] - [***]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Per Texas Johansson: De Langa Rulltrapporna I Flemingsberg
  • ERR: stream no grade: Kansas: Miracles Out of Nowhere
  • ERR: stream no grade: Tyler Kaneshiro & the Highlands: Amber of the Moment
  • ERR: stream no grade: Martin Kuchen/Johan Berthling/Steve Noble: Night in Europe
  • Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly (Top Dawg/Aftermath/Interscope) [03-16] - jazz rap -- AV:91, BB:90, CS:100, DS:100, HD:100, MO:90, Pf:93, PM:90, RS:90, S:100; RC:A-, MT:A+ [A-]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Nancy Lane: Let Me Love You
  • Lil Dicky: Professional Rapper (CMSN) [07-31] - hip hop -- HD:70; RC:A- [A-]
  • Lil Wayne: The Free Weezy Album (Young Money/Republic) [07-04] - hip hop -- HD:70 [*]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Jon Lindberg/Anil Eraslan: Juggling Kukla
  • Lizzo: Big Grrrl Small World (BGSW) [12-11] - 2H [*]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Mundell Lowe/Lloyd Wells/Jim Ferguson: Poor Butterfly
  • Lupe Fiasco: Tetsuo & Youth (Atlantic) [01-20] - alt rap -- AV:83, CS:75, HD:90, Pf:72, PM:80, RS:60; RC:A- [*]
  • Lyrics Born: Real People (Mobile Home) [05-15] - rap [A-]
  • Meek Mill: Dreams Worth More Than Money (MMG/Atlantic) [06-29] - hip-hop -- BB:70, CS:75, HD:70, Pf:74, PM:80, RS:60 [*]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Tobias Meinhart: Natural Perception
  • Monster Rally & Jay Stone: Foreign Pedestrians (Gold Robot) [01-27] - -- S:80 [*]
  • Murs: Have a Nice Life (Strange Music) [05-19] - rap -- HD:70 [A-]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Noertker's Moxie: Simultaneous Windows
  • ERR: stream no grade: Larry Novak: Invitation
  • Oddisee: The Good Fight (Mello Music Group) [05-05] - underground rap -- HD:90 [*]
  • Paris: Pistol Politics (Guerrilla Funk, 2CD) [09-11] - rap -- RC:A- [A-]
  • Peaceful Solutions: Barter 7 (self-released) [08-17] - rap [A-]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Kim Pensyl: Foreign Love Affair
  • ERR: stream no grade: Ivo Perelman/Mat Maneri/Tanya Kalmanovitch: Villa Lobos Suite
  • ERR: stream no grade: Ivo Perelman/Matthew Shipp: Complementary Colors
  • ERR: stream no grade: Ivo Perelman/Matthew Shipp/Whit Dickey: Butterfly Whispers
  • ERR: stream no grade: Oscar Perez: Prepare a Place for Me
  • Pusha T: King Push - Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude (GOOD Music) [12-18] - hardcore rap [***]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Jeff Richman: Hotwire
  • RJD2/STS: STS X RJD2 (RJ's Electrical Connections) [05-05] - left-field hip-hop -- HD:70; RC:*** [***]
  • Roots Manuva: Bleeds (Big Dada) [10-30] - punk pop -- MO:90 [B]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Matthew Shipp: Matthew Shipp Plays the Music of Allen Lowe
  • ERR: stream no grade: Herb Silverstein: Younger Next Year
  • Rae Sremmurd: SremmLife (Interscope) [01-06] - rap -- HD:70, P:81, Pf:78, RS:80, S:60; RC:A- [***]
  • Vince Staples: Summertime '06 (Def Jam) [07-03] - gangsta rap -- BB:80, HD:90; RC:B+ [***]
  • Statik Selektah: Lucky 7 (Showoff/Duck Down Music) [07-07] - hip hop -- HD:80, Pf:50 [**]
  • Earl Sweatshirt: I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside (Columbia) [04-14] - -- AV:83, CS:75, HD:80, PM:80, S:80 [*]
  • ERR: stream no grade: The Dan Trudell Trio: Dan Trudell Plays the Piano
  • Tyler, the Creator: Cherry Bomb (Odd Future) [04-21] - underground rap -- HD:80 [*]
  • ERR: stream no grade: Ramana Veiera: Fado Da Vida
  • Young Fathers: White Men Are Black Men Too (Big Dada) [04-06] - alt rap -- DS:90, MO:90; RC:A- [**]
  • Young Thug: Barter 6 (300/Atlantic) [04-16] - hip-hop -- BB:70, HD:80; RC:**, MT:A [**]

Reissues, Etc.

    Priority Counts

    • Priority 4: 38
    • Priority 5: 2

    Total: 40