By: Q.D. Tran
December 31, 2015
I guess what was spawned from pure procrastination has turned into an annual tradition here at The Deli Philly. We are now at our final post of 2015, and here’s my list of 50 favorite Philly EPs/LPs from this year. Do what you want with it. Hopefully you'll take a listen for yourself. So many good albums this year, I feel bad about cutting it off at 50; otherwise, I would never post this. And without further ado…
1. Nightclub (Self-released) - Blood Sound
Blood Sound crept into my subconscious in 2015. So much so that I contemplated starting my own record label to release their material. But then, I watched the Stones Throw and Creation Records documentaries, and decided maybe I should direct my energies elsewhere. Well, I’m glad that Manimal Vinyl (Bat for Lashes, Warpaint) was smart enough to snatch Blood Sound up for their next single releases. Nightclub is just the beginning of the 80's dance party that they are about to unleash on the rest of the world. To quote my buddy, Alex, whom I am absolutely jealous of for coming up with this description first: “It sounds like Ian Curtis fronting New Order.”
2. Downer (Infinity Cat) - The City & I
What can I say - “the weed-buttered food baby” of Colins “Bear” Reginsford (Mannequin Pussy, Kids, Ghost Gum), known as Downer, is dope. It’s such a diverse-sounding album with doses of weirdness and grit in all the right places. I thoroughly enjoyed gettin’ high to this one.
3. Pale Horses (Run For Cover) - mewithoutYou
It’s probably been almost a decade since I first heard of mewithoutYou, who was featured in a Philly alt-weekly at that time. The band continues to morph, evolve, and intrigue me after all these years. Pale Horses is thought-provoking material from a seasoned band.
4. Cemetery Highrise Slum (Collect) - Creepoid
What is a common question that circulates around Creepoid: “How are they not bigger?” I don’t know the answer to that, but I hope to stop hearing the question soon. Cemetery Highrise Slum is heavy, grungy psych rock that you need to get into.
5. The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us (Polyvinyl) – Beach Slang
There is a youthful exuberance to The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us, which is oddly made by old punks. However, it's rather cathartic. Beach Slang's rapid ascension is not at all surprising within the first listen.
6. Painted Shut (Saddle Creek) – Hop Along
7. Skull Cauldron (Self-released) – Sandcastle
8. Total Freedom (Richie) – Spacin’
9. Son Little (Anti-) – Son Little
10. Beach Music (Domino) – Alex G
11. Chorus (Slumberland) – Literature
12. We Have No Future, We’re All Doomed (Soft Speak) – Kississippi
13. Too Much Sun and Not Enough Gloom at the Beach (Self-released) – Blood Sound
14. Hardcore Friends (Lame-O) – Lithuania
15. MOBO Presents: The Perfect Cast EP featuring Modern Baseball (Lame-O) – Modern Baseball
16. Sonic Praise (Relapse) – Ecstatic Vision
17. YOU ARE ARRIVED (but you’ve been cheated) (Ranch/Ice Age) – The Spirit of the Beehive
18. Punctual (Self-released) – OOR
19. Ivy Tripp (Wichita) – Waxahatchee
20. Divorce Year (Seagreen) – Thin Lips
21. A Flourish and a Spoil (Fat Possum) – The Districts
22. 2008: The Jumbo-Cricket Landfill Incident (Self-released) – Rocky Kaminski
23. It’s a Terrible World (Self-released) – Josh Jones
24. In Loving Memory of oosi Lockjaw (Woodfarm) – Hezekiah Jones
25. Sway (Self-released) – Marian Hill
26. STS x RJD2 (RJ Electrical Connections) – STS x RJD2
27. If More People Bought Art More People Would Buy Art (Color Theory) – LOUDS
28. Suburban Living (PaperCup Music) – Suburban Living
29. \_(ツ)_/¯ (Self-released) – Ghost Light
30. b’lieve i’m goin down… (Matador) – Kurt Vile
31. FOOTWEAR (Too Far Gone) – Cyberbully Mom Club
32. Forever Whatever (Sire) – Cold Fronts
33. Planning Weed Like It’s Acid/Life Is Loss (Self-released) – A Sunny Day in Glasgow
34. Emeralds of Opium (Self-released) – Sandcastle
35. II 7” (Wilsuns RC/Katorga Works) – Sheer Mag
36. Martha split (Specialist Subject) – Radiator Hospital
37. Bad Year (Lame-O) – The Superweaks
38. Taiwan Housing Project (M’Lady’s) – Taiwan Housing Project
39. Freaking Out (Self-released) – RFA
40. CRUISR (Vagrant) – CRUISR
41. Lowercase Roses (Lame-O) – Lowercase Roses
42. Before The World Was Big (Wichita) – Girlpool
43. The Sunshine of Your Youth – Cheerleader
44. Fisticuffs – Le Fits
45. You’re Going To Have To Trust Me (Burst & Bloom) – Friendship
46. Everyone Make Happy (Lefse) – Shelf Life
47. Instant Replay Finger (Third Uncle/What’s the Rupture?) – Honey Radar
48. Dogs on Acid – Dogs on Acid
49. Roots Rock Element (Burger Records) – The Whips
50. Eye of Night (Glowing Dagger) – Bad Braids