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Q.D. Tran’s 50 Favorite Philly EPs/LPs of 2015

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