From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V16 #1301 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Saturday, December 20 2014 Volume 16 : Number 1301 To unsubscribe: e-mail ecto-digest-request@smoe.org and put the word unsubscribe in the message body. Today's Subjects: ----------------- Best of 2015 [Jeff Hanson ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 16 Dec 2014 20:01:04 +0000 (UTC) From: Jeff Hanson Subject: Best of 2015 it's that time of year again--when everyone starts listing out their favorites. Probably safe to go ahead and list mine, looking at the new release schedule for the remainder of the year. Surprisingly how few albums I bought this year (67 - lowest number in at least 5 years), and even more, how few I really listened to obsessively. 1. Damien Rice - My Favorite Faded Fantasy - was wondering what had happened to him, and hten he returned with a beautiful passionate album 2. Over the Rhine - Blood Oranges in the Snow - more than just a Christmas album, this album continues to highlight this duo's great songwriting with winter/christmas themed songs 3. Alison Moyet - Minutes + Seconds - selections from her live tour for the Minutes, this album highlights one of the best voices in music. 4. Jason Wembley - Margaret - the story behind this album is almost better than the album itself, but combined with a stellar cast of performers including Eliza Rickman, a great kickstarter campaign, this is a really solid album 5. Lisa Ekdahl - Listen To Your Own Heart - I've always been a sucker for LIsa's sweet voice, but this album, recorded in Cuba, is a light, summery, jazzy feel good album - not quite as good as Give Me That Slow Knowing Smile 6. Sinead O'Connor - I'm not Bossy, I'm the Boss - a really good, powerful album with lots of energy 7. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis - I realize this came out in 2013, but I just got it in 2014 and while it's really not my thing style-wise, have to give it up for these guys for making really compelling, intelligent rap 8. Paloma Faith - a Perfect Contradiction - a really great fun album from a great performer--she's not quite Amy Winehouse, but she's probably the 2nd best runner up to her legacy/style 9. Die Roten Punkte - Super Musikant and Kunst Rock - This odd duo I discovered as part of the Tricklock Revolution's International Theater Festival - they are an Australian duo, who have created a live act and characters based on the story of brother-sister orphans whose parents were killed by a lion (or was it a train, or was it both?) They write really clever punk songs very similar to Dresden Dolls, have a backstory like something out of Amanda Palmer/Jason Wembley's Evelyn/Evelyn, all the while with tongue firmly planted in cheek--I find these albums really addictive and fun. 10. Lady, The Band - A really solid album - part funk, part 50's Motown girl group, but thoroughly modern Best Live Show - DhakaBrakha at The Dirty Bourbon in Albuquerque (alas, I missed Kate Bush in London!) ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V16 #1301 ****************************