ILM's TOP 77 TRACKS of 2015

Yeah, that Radiohead track is clearly getting points for simply being Radiohead, and hopefully not also for being a rejected Bond theme.

It's not the official Bond theme. It was rejected.

Radiohead didn't do the official theme. That was Sam Smith. His version is 100000x more terrible.

^ this might be true, actually.

Seems bizarre that Radiohead would have even been considered for this, and that they would have also agreed to it, but whatever.

dog latin - fact that it's from a concept album called 'Reality Show' should clue you in a bit

i forgot this was starting, so pleased to see "mascara" made it. i voted for the superlative album but this fucking song...the nuances of the songwriting and the performance and the melodies blow me away every time.

yeah my hair and my ass fake,
but so what? i get my rent paid with it,
and my tits get me trips to places i can't pronounce right
he said he'd keep it coming if i keep my body tight

is probably up there with the best opening verses i've ever heard? i love the run-on lines throughout the whole song, every statement has a caveat or qualification or something that adds a different angle to it. and jazmine is so empathetic, she reminds me of brandy clark on this album. is the accordion line running behind it meant to be reminiscent of the-dream's "fancy"? it's retelling that story from the girl's perspective in some ways. "you're coach class and i'm in that g5" is really terius-like melodically as well, actually the entire middle 8 sceptically nodding to kendrick, terius and beyoncé in three consecutive lines works so well.

i wanted to read a million thinkpieces about this song & race & gender & economic inequality & the labour of beauty last year, it's all in there, this is just phenomenal and timely songwriting, she's the fucking best

and the one bit where she lets her voice crack, gets out of the character's psychic armour of defiance and just crumbles with "DON'T I DESERVE TO BE PRIVILEGED, DON'T I DESERVE TO GET THE VERY BEST" and strikes right at the heart of every one of those themes

http://i.imgur.com/Rdw3TUj.jpg]

74 FLOATING POINTS "Silhouettes (I, II, III)" (186 points, 5 votes, 1 first-place vote)
Pitchfork - DNP / P&J - 233 / Youtube

(yawn)

(sorry)

I can't listen to the #74 tune right now, but the combination of the band name, track name, and the image in the post makes it seem like the most boring thing ever.

the way I can't tell if this is supposed to be a happy or sad song (it's def bittersweet I'll give it that)

i think the narrator is trapped - by the conditions her men impose on her, by the poverty she came from, by the sheer work that goes into maintaining her beauty - but jazmine also makes it clear, imo, that her defiance should win out; we're not meant to feel sorry for her, the injustice is systemic, she's doing her best with what she has available to her and even if there's a weariness to her, the narrator is content with her choices and rejects any pity offered to her

great post Lex, I'll def be revisiting the song (and the album if I can get hold of it).

it's a really smart song.

Yeah, the character in the song is like, "You mean I follow the rules you created and you STILL won't love me?"

Floating Points always seem to sound different on every track I hear by them. I'll give this a go. I really love 'Wires' from a few years ago.

lex totally tom

otm

That Floating Points track with Katy B is good.

That Floating Points track with Katy B is good.

yeah it's really brilliant, had i voted a week later i'd probably have included it

"silhouettes" is lovely too, definitely what i wanted from floating pts on an album that was perhaps a bit too low-key for me to really love

I can't listen to the #74 tune right now, but the combination of the band name, track name, and the image in the post makes it seem like the most boring thing ever.

he is also a neuroscientist!

I'm not often fond of long, ambient music, but I've returned to this one Floating Points track a lot this year. It's very pretty and way less boring than you'd imagine. (Still didn't vote for it though)

i think the narrator is trapped - by the conditions her men impose on her, by the poverty she came from, by the sheer work that goes into maintaining her beauty - but jazmine also makes it clear, imo, that her defiance should win out; we're not meant to feel sorry for her, the injustice is systemic, she's doing her best with what she has available to her and even if there's a weariness to her, the narrator is content with her choices and rejects any pity offered to her

― cher guevara (lex pretend), Monday, January 18, 2016 2:24 PM (5 minutes ago)

The little Jazmine Sullivan I've heard has done nothing for me musically, but I did get this from the song, and I completely respect the sentiment. Great summation, lex.

Lex on Mascara <3

lol i just realized the first time i heard this track was at the top of an Uhh Yeah Dude episode

i had the album high on my ballot

(floating points)

http://i.imgur.com/UySYOMc.jpg

73 JME FT. SKEPTA, SHORTY AND FRISCO "Don't @ Me" (187 points, 9 votes)
Pitchfork - DNP / P&J - DNP / Youtube

Henceforth today, forks will be steering the ship. Enjoy!

put it all in the bin don't at me

I ALREADY SAID DON'T WASTE MY TIME
NOW I GOTTA TELL EM DON'T WASTE MY DATA

the state of twitter in 2015 made me play this song so much

was this track inspired by this famous twitter exchange?

https://twitter.com/itsyourboytadi/status/587973127205953536

lol

Anyway, this song is class, but then it feels like everything Skepta touches these days turns to gold.

was this track inspired by this famous twitter exchange?

or...the other way round

yeah i wondered.

I dunno what to think about the resurgence of grime in 2014-15, but this track is pretty stellar.

that radiohead track is trash

turn on your location if you're a bad boy, you prick

I both like the Floating Points track *and* think it's boring.

Love 'Don't @ Me'.

'boring' doesn't automatically mean 'bad' in music sometimes I guess

don't @ me really brightened my year

yeah don't @ me rules

Yep. So good.

Love don't @ me but there were other Jme tunes I liked more

yeah, it's great, I put man don't care on my extended ballot

Spotify Playlist is now updating!

Nice!

http://i.imgur.com/7jNELfH.jpg

72 JANET JACKSON "No Sleeep" (190 points, 6 votes)
Pitchfork - 37 / P&J - 75 / Youtube

Gorgeous song.

God this song.

yeah i voted for a deep cut ("promise of you") as my personal favourite off the janet album but this single really raised my expectations for her comeback

The J. Cole isn't the excellence I once thought, but who needs him when she'saw expressing her lust so well?

fyi forks re:spotify playlist - #89 is now available

on it, thanks.

I was reminded yesterday while at an outside afternoon party in very hot weather that I was a total chump for noting for "Lean On".

― Tim F, Wednesday, January 27, 2016 5:14 AM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

smh

I'm sorry. I forget how good it is in that context b/w exposure events.

deej is just mad u get to go to outdoor parties in warm weather in january

I'm mad I've ever had to hear "Lean On"

I haven't taken the plunge on the new Gesu No Kiwami Otome album yet, since it looks to be about $30, but their Dress No Nugikata EP from 2013 is available at a reasonable price, and is a lot of fun too.

KING added to playlist.
btw, the KING album is out!

Goddammit, I can't stop listening to Cool for the Summer tonight. WHY??

'cause i'm your body type

Don't tell your mother, JF.

added "spectre" and "awoo" to the playlist.

i'm still doing that 8k track playlist but i feel like i should zip through this list once or twice to see what i missed.