MCCh 2015 (05) March 31

[Otisredding]

The best albums of 2015 (update March 31)

The numbers presented next to each album title are the weighted average rating and the number of reviews (out of 32 included sources). The weighted average is based on a formula that includes a) the average of ratings and b) the number of sources that have rated the album.

The magazines I used for the ratings were:
EUR + Australia: Gaffa-dk; Gaffa-sw; Jenesaispop; Laut; LesInrocks; Mondosonoro; Music-story; Musikexpress; Nojesguiden; Ondarock; Plattentests; Playgroundmag; Sentire Ascoltare; The Music
UK: DIY; Drowned In Sound; The Guardian; Music OMH; NME; The Line Of Best Fit; The Skinny; The 405
USA + Canada: Allmusic; AV Club; Consequence Of Sound; Exclaim!; Paste; Pitchfork; Popmatters; Rolling Stone; Spin; Tinymixtapes

Highlights: These are the top three songs from the album according to Allmusic, Consequence of Sound, Jenesaispop, Plattentests, Gaffa.dk, Gaffa.se, The Irish Times, The Independent, Digital Spy, BostonGlobe, etc…

New entry or Re-entry
Albums that have obtained new reviews and improved the score
Albums that have obtained new reviews but worsened the score

Out:
Punch Brothers: The Phosphorescent Blues
Napalm Death: Apex Predator – Easy Meat
The Phantom Band: Fears Trending
Mount Eerie: Sauna
Mark Ronson: Uptown Special
Tuxedo: Tuxedo

30 - Dan Deacon: Gliss Riffer – 72,8 (24)
Highlights: Feel The Lightning - Sheathed Wings - Learning to Relax
[imgsize 200x200]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 837906.jpg[/imgsize]

29 - John Carpenter: Lost Themes – 73,0 (14)
Highlights: Vortex - Domain - Obsidian
[imgsize 200x200]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 831549.jpg[/imgsize]

28 - Screaming Females: Rose Mountain – 73,3 (12)
Highlights: Ripe - Empty Head - Hopeless
[imgsize 200x200]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 840167.jpg[/imgsize]

27 - Laura Marling: Short Movie - 73,3 (23)
Highlights: Short Movie - False Hope - Gurdjieff's Daughter
[imgsize 200x200]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 833746.jpg[/imgsize]

26 - José González: Vestiges & Claws – 73,4 (24)
Highlights: Let It Carry You - Leaf Off / The Cave - Every Age
[imgsize 200x200]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 822462.jpg[/imgsize]

25 - Spectres: Dying - 73,4 (8)
Highlights: Where Flies Sleep - Family - Mirror
[imgsize 220x220]http://assets2.thefourohfive.com/data/3 ... /dying.jpg[/imgsize]

24 - Errors: Lease Of Life – 73,5 (8)
Highlights: Lease Of Life - Genuflection - Slow Rotor
[imgsize 220x220]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 843323.jpg[/imgsize]

23 - The Decemberists: What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World – 73,7 (25)
Highlights: Cavalry Captain - A Beginning Song - Lake Song
[imgsize 220x220]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 824129.jpg[/imgsize]

22 - Earl Sweatshirt: I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside - 73,9 (9)
Highlights: Grief - Faucet - Huey
[imgsize 220x220]http://exclaim.ca/images/earl21.jpg[/imgsize]

21 - Lady Lamb the Beekeeper: After - 74,8 (8)
Highlights: Violet Clementine - Sunday Shoes - Penny Licks
[imgsize 220x220]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 818515.jpg[/imgsize]

20 - Drake: If You're Reading This It's Too Late - 74,9 (20)
Highlights: Know Yourself - Energy - You & The 6
[imgsize 240x240]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 837700.jpg[/imgsize]

19 - Jessica Pratt: On Your Own Love Again – 75,0 (18)
Highlights: Back, Baby - Game That I Play - Moon Dude
[imgsize 240x240]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 808446.jpg[/imgsize]

18 - Ghost Culture: Ghost Culture – 75,1 (14)
Highlights: Glass - Guidecca - Mouth
[imgsize 240x240]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 828341.jpg[/imgsize]

17 - Godspeed You! Black Emperor: Asunder, Sweet And Other Distress - 75,2 (9)
Highlights: Piss Crowns Are Trebled - Peasantry or ‘Light! Inside of Light! - Asunder, Sweet
[imgsize 240x240]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 848082.jpg[/imgsize]

16 - Belle And Sebastian: Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance – 75,7 (32)
Highlights: Play For Today - Nobody's Empire - Ever Had A Little Faith?
[imgsize 240x240]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 817963.jpg[/imgsize]

15 - Lightning Bolt: Fantasy Empire - 75,7 (14)
Highlights: Snow White (& the 7 Dwarves Fans) - The Metal East - Horsepower
[imgsize 260x260]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 844554.jpg[/imgsize]

14 - Pond: Man It Feels Like Space Again – 75,9 (22)
Highlights: Elvis' Flaming Star - Waiting Around For Grace - Zond
[imgsize 260x260]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 830040.jpg[/imgsize]

13 - Ibeyi: Ibeyi – 76,2 (23)
Highlights: Mama Says - River - Stranger / Lover
[imgsize 260x260]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 831095.jpg[/imgsize]

12 - Tobias Jesso Jr.: Goon - 76,5 (24)
Highlights: Hollywood - Without You - How Could You Be
[imgsize 260x260]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 829250.jpg[/imgsize]

11 - Matthew E. White: Fresh Blood – 77,1 (22)
Highlights: Take Care My Baby - Tranquility - Rock & Roll Is Cold
[imgsize 260x260]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 828852.jpg[/imgsize]

10 - Bob Dylan: Shadows in the Night – 77,8 (24)
Highlights: That Lucky Old Sun - Full Moon and Empty Arms - I'm a Fool to Want You
[imgsize 280x280]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 819408.jpg[/imgsize]

09 - Natalie Prass: Natalie Prass – 79,1 (20)
Highlights: My Baby Don't Understand Me - Violently - Bird Of Pray
[imgsize 280x280]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 825167.jpg[/imgsize]

08 - Viet Cong: Viet Cong – 79,3 (28)
Highlights: Continental Shelf - Death - Silhouettes
[imgsize 280x280]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 826763.jpg[/imgsize]

07 - Panda Bear: Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper – 80,5 (27)
Highlights: Mr. Noah - Boys Latin - Tropic Of Cancer
[imgsize 280x280]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 817921.jpg[/imgsize]

06 - Courtney Barnett: Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit - 83,9 (26)
Highlights: Pedestrian at Best - Depreston - Elevator Operator
[imgsize 280x280]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 835922.jpg[/imgsize]

05 - Father John Misty: I Love You, Honeybear – 86,3 (28)
Highlights: I Love You, Honeybear - Chateau Lobby #4 (in C for Two Virgins) - The Ideal Husband
[imgsize 300x300]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 834125.jpg[/imgsize]

04 - Sleater-Kinney: No Cities To Love – 86,7 (30)
Highlights: Bury Our Friends - No Cities To Love - No Anthems
[imgsize 300x300]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 822345.jpg[/imgsize]

03 - Björk: Vulnicura – 86,7 (31)
Highlights: Black Lake - Stonemilker - Atom Dance
[imgsize 300x300]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 828436.jpg[/imgsize]

02 - Sufjan Stevens: Carrie & Lowell - 88,5 (21)
Highlights: Fourth Of July - Should Have Known Better - No Shade In The Shadow Of The Cross
[imgsize 300x300]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 829258.jpg[/imgsize]

01 - Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp A Butterfly - 92,3 (23)
Highlights: The Blacker the Berry - Mortal Man - Wesley's Theory
[imgsize 300x300]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 846021.jpg[/imgsize]

[Otisredding]

I also hope the 70.0 "honorable mentions" list will continue as a feature in coming weeks, too!

31 - Punch Brothers: The Phosphorescent Blues - 72,7 (11)
32 - Evans The Death: Expect Delays - 72,5 (9)
33 - Napalm Death: Apex Predator – Easy Meat - 72,4 (12)
34 - BC Camplight: How to Die in the North - 72,3 (12)
35 - The Phantom Band: Fears Trending - 72,3 (8)
36 - Mount Eerie: Sauna - 72,2 (9)
37 - Mark Ronson: Uptown Special - 72,2 (24)
38 - Tuxedo: Tuxedo - 71,7 (8)
39 - LoneLady: Hinterland - 71,6 (10)
40 - Ryley Walker: Primrose Green - 71,5 (9)
41 - The Amazing: Picture You - 71,2 (9)
42 - Mourn: Mourn - 71,2 (12)
43 - The Dodos: Individ - 71,1 (15)
44 - Gaz Coombes: Matador - 71,1 (15)
45 - Swervedriver: I Wasn't Born To Lose You - 71,0 (13)
46 - The Staves: If I Was - 70,9 (8)
47 - Zun Zun Egui: Shackles Gift - 70,8 (9)
48 - THEESatisfaction: EarthEE - 70,7 (17)
49 - Modest Mouse: Strangers to Ourselves - 70,6 (27)
50 - Föllakzoid: III - 70,6 (7)
51 - Pinkshinyultrablast: Everything Else Matters - 70,3 (7)
52 - Torche: Restarter - 70,2 (11)
53 - The Charlatans: Modern Nature - 70,2 (16)

[bootsy]

Got a question, does Lupe Fiasco Tetsuo & Youth not qualify for this list?

[irreduciblekoan]

Got a question, does Lupe Fiasco Tetsuo & Youth not qualify for this list?

I'm guessing a combo of not enough reviews from MCCh's sources, and scores too low from the sources that did review it. Tetsuo was a solid album (though I don't love it), but it didn't get the number of reviews I feel Lupe deserved. Kinda flew under the radar, it seemed.

[GucciLittlePiggy]

Got a question, does Lupe Fiasco Tetsuo & Youth not qualify for this list?

I'm guessing a combo of not enough reviews from MCCh's sources, and scores too low from the sources that did review it. Tetsuo was a solid album (though I don't love it), but it didn't get the number of reviews I feel Lupe deserved. Kinda flew under the radar, it seemed.

Yeah, its lack of attention really disappoints me. That's my favorite album of the year not called To Pimp a Butterfly. His ambition and talent really came together to make a great record.

[bootsy]

Got a question, does Lupe Fiasco Tetsuo & Youth not qualify for this list?

I'm guessing a combo of not enough reviews from MCCh's sources, and scores too low from the sources that did review it. Tetsuo was a solid album (though I don't love it), but it didn't get the number of reviews I feel Lupe deserved. Kinda flew under the radar, it seemed.

Yeah i don't know. It has an 80 on Metacritic with 12 reviews(no negative reviews) and various other non-MC reviews are good. Not sure about this.

[Otisredding]

55 - Lupe Fiasco: Tetsuo & Youth – 69,5 (10)
Highlights: Mural - Blur My Hands - Prisoner 1 & 2
[imgsize 200x200]http://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_50 ... 817937.jpg[/imgsize]

[Otisredding]

MCCh 2015 (06) April 15