The ATH Top 50 Albums of 2015

Albums ListYear-end lists are everywhere…and I can see why they’re important to people. But, seeing as we generally walk off the beaten path more often than not, our list of the Top 50 Albums of 2015 is in no particular order, save alphabetically. It seems pointless to rank one piece of art higher than another, especially when the four of us at ATH all have varying tastes. We just put this list together of the albums we loved the most this year. Are we saying they’re better than records by Grimes or Kendrick Lamar? No, we’re just saying that these are the records we loved more than others. So, you can read on for what we thought was hot.

Also…put links to individual stores where you can buy the albums from the bands…as that’s how we all survive in this music world.
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Beck’s Giving His Grammy to…Hayden?

hayI said it. I’m stealing a nod from an old friend who always called Hayden the “Canadian Beck.” It seems with his new work, that the Grammy is going to have to be passed along to Canada.  Surprisingly, Hayden’s career has worked in a similar arc, hopping back and forth between genres, but always achieving huge accolades when he takes the folk-laden ballad approach.  It’s also a track that takes a careful ear; you can hear the static of a guitar being pulled from the amp (or something similar) in the middle…it matches well with the bending guitar too.  Look for Hey Love to appear via Arts & Crafts on March 24th.

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Hayden Is the Canadian Beck

canadaHave you not listened to Hayden before? Well, you’re going to have to do some hunting down, as the man’s released dozens of albums, all changing shapes and sounds, though consistently relying upon the strength of his voice.  It appears on this outing he’s going to take on the melancholy vibes of the world, using hints of Americana, though on that grader scale many of us adore.  He’s titled the newest release Hey Love, and it’s getting into stores courtesy of Arts and Crafts (3/24).  Put your pop song away and get swept away in this emotive number.

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