{"id":40365,"date":"2015-12-21T20:23:41","date_gmt":"2015-12-22T02:23:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/?p=40365"},"modified":"2015-12-24T17:01:02","modified_gmt":"2015-12-24T23:01:02","slug":"top-10-albums-of-the-year-kjhk-top-10","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/2015\/12\/21\/top-10-albums-of-the-year-kjhk-top-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 Albums of the Year: KJHK Top 10"},"content":{"rendered":"

KJHK Top 10<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Kendrick Lamar,\u00a0To Pimp A Butterfly<\/em><\/li>\n
  2. Father John Misty,\u00a0I Love You, Honeybear<\/em><\/li>\n
  3. Tame Impala,\u00a0Currents<\/em><\/li>\n
  4. Viet Cong, Viet Cong<\/i><\/li>\n
  5. Jamie xx,\u00a0In Colour<\/em><\/li>\n
  6. Oneohtrix Point Never,\u00a0Garden of Delete<\/em><\/li>\n
  7. Courtney Barnett,\u00a0Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit<\/em><\/li>\n
  8. Drake,\u00a0If You’re Reading This, It’s Too late<\/em><\/li>\n
  9. St. Germain,\u00a0St. Germain<\/em><\/li>\n
  10. Kamasi Washington,\u00a0The Epic<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    \n

    KJHK executive staff, DJ’s, and varying staff members contributed their lists to our Top 10 Albums of\u00a02015!<\/p>\n

    Check out contributing staff lists!<\/a><\/p>\n

    Below, you can find lovingly crafted reviews for each of our Top 10 Albums.<\/p>\n

    \n
    Kendrick Lamar,\u00a0<\/strong>To Pimp A Butterfly<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/h5>\n

    By Harrison Hipp<\/p>\n

    \"Kendrick\"Most of the world had heard of Kendrick Lamar before the March release of To Pimp A Butterfly. This isn’t saying much as his previous full-length album, <\/span>Good Kid, M.A.A.D City<\/span><\/i>, debuted at #2 on Billboard charts in the fall of 2012 and was the antithesis of a sophomore slump as it later achieved platinum sales. Now, however, Kendrick appears undeniably seasoned and evolved following <\/span>To Pimp A Butterfly<\/span><\/i>. \u00a0A pool full of liquor was then, and high school English class visits are now. The Compton rapper personifies a few varying personalities throughout the record including a mix of conflicted and passionate on “u,” or clear and focused on “How Much A Dollar Cost.” The album achieved acclaim among listeners with a wide variety of tastes while also addressing ubiquitous social issues.<\/span><\/p>\n

    To Pimp A Butterfly<\/em> features the likes of Thundercat, George Clinton, Bilal and Snoop Dogg, among others and definitely checks out on paper. The album begins with a psych-funk journey alongside Thundercat and Clinton on “Wesley’s Journey,” a track produced by Flying Lotus. It almost makes you dream of the conception of a hypothetical supergroup along the lines of FlyLo, Kendrick and Herbie Hancock or something; and only adding to the mystique, Kendrick hinted during a string of shows in early November that he may soon opt to no longer perform material from To Pimp A Butterfly<\/em> on the road. This is surely due to the demanding nature of the material as Lamar turned in a performance on the album as versatile as any.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The listenable quality is inherently here with all hits like “Alright” and “King Kunta,” and deeper cuts like the jazzy “How Much A Dollar Cost” that belongs on a Robert Glasper album or “The Blacker The Berry” that reminds us hip-hop came from reggae. Kendrick is a conscious minority in his industry and has cast a ripple of influence that will affect generations to follow. At 28 with three studio albums, the acclaim of Kendrick’s career rests somewhat squarely between the shoulders of <\/span>Good Kid, M.A.A.D City<\/span><\/i> and <\/span>To Pimp A Butterfly<\/span><\/i>, more so on the latter.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Father John Misty,\u00a0I Love You, Honeybear
    \n<\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n

    By Kayci Lineberger<\/p>\n

    \"8a2cb994\"<\/em>Many artists, one could argue almost all, craft their work\u00a0to create the true representation, the pinnacle of what\u00a0they’re experiencing; they want to translate the wordless movements of soul and emotion into text, sounds, visions, media that others can see and understand. Inarguably, J. Tillman is doing the same thing with\u00a0I Love You, Honeybear<\/em>, he’s just covering a hell of a lot of\u00a0ground. Each song on this second LP\u00a0under the Father John Misty moniker stands strongly alone instrumentally and thematically, from heavy rock tracks like “The Ideal Husband” where Tillman unfolds his self-loathing and doubt as someone’s other half, almost chastising and definitely questioning why someone would make him their betrothed, to the symphonic folk ballad “Bored In The USA,” in which Tillman tries to tackle the consumerist, racist, superficial culture and lack of eternal love in the USA, complimented with a laughing track and crooning string and choir sections.<\/p>\n

    Reflecting back on this LP and the spins I’ve given it in the last ten plus\u00a0months, I’m finding it interesting this album found a concrete place in my heart. Tillman is known for creating facades, playing a character on and off of the camera — it’s hard to discern where the satire ends and begins with the self expression and commentary on love of\u00a0I Love You, Honeybear.\u00a0<\/em>I’m not usually a fan of music that puts on an act, or music created by someone that acts like an ass, but between the moments of satire and self deprecation moments of vividly true, visceral emotion shine through. It may be that encapsulated by wordplay and instrumental bravado, those poetic moments come through stronger.<\/p>\n

    There’s also something to be said for Tillman’s analysis of\u00a0love in our 21st century society. How many of these modern loves are true, how genuine are our interactions, not just with lovers but with friends, colleagues, family? An unanswerable question, but Tillman tackles it all the same, erring on the loveless side of caution. This topic is torn apart in “Holy Shit,” one of my personal favorites on this album. Tillman validates the love he has for his Honeybear while questioning it, and all love really, when he sings “Oh, and love is just an institution based on human frailty \/\u00a0What’s your paradise gotta do with Adam and Eve? \/ Maybe love is just an economy based on resource scarcity \/\u00a0But what I fail to see is what that’s gotta do with you and me.”<\/p>\n

    Truly, each aspect of this album is wonderfully refined. The weaving of different genres into one cohesive sound, diverse instrumentation, poetic lyrics, intelligent satirical commentary, and most importantly the artistic vision and overarching themes creates a diverse, entrancing listen. I Love You, Honeybear<\/em>\u00a0could be an album that you crank up as you lay your love down next to the fire, in theory at least. In execution, it is anything but. It\u00a0is a visceral, twisted, affection drenched\u00a0exploration of the concept of loving another person \u00a0in this strange age, loving so deeply it’s terrifying. Love is\u00a0not always smooth or comfortable, and neither is I Love You, Honeybear<\/em>. \u00a0J. Tillman is at times\u00a0abrasive and painful; he is concerned more about creating an honest letter of love than a soothing one, and for that, he has my respect.<\/p>\n

    Tame Impala,\u00a0<\/strong>Currents<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/h5>\n

    By Dylan Fox<\/p>\n

    \"Currents\"Tame Impala is an Australian rock band out of Perth formed in 2007. Beyond that, it proves quite the challenge to describe them any other way than calling them complex. Founded by the ever-gifted Kevin Parker in 2007, their debut, Innerspeaker<\/i> (2010) was met with wide spread critical acclaim and eventually certified gold in Australia. Impala\u2019s sophomore album, Lonerism <\/i>(2012) busted out the gates, taking a more organic approach and then received a Grammy for Best Alternative Album. Naturally, many fans were cautiously anticipating Currents <\/i>\u2013 would this be their dud after a history of bangers? The Internet was abuzz with rumors and speculation. So imagine the relief and delight when Tame Impala pulled a triad of golden albums by releasing Currents<\/i> this year, sweeping its fans fears off of their feet and pulling them down the rapids.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The album starts off with seven-minute synth wizard magic, “Let it Happen.” This sets the mood for the rest of the album with an assurance that front man Kevin Parker has retained many of Tame Impala\u2019s qualities, some picked back up from Innerspeaker<\/i> and many new. “Nangs” softly pulls the tone into a more upbeat track, “The Moment.” Though this song resembles \u201880\u2019s pop rhythm and synth bell rings that sound like a cover of a Culture Club, Squeeze, or Joe Jackson, these three distinct tracks all keep to this theme of an impending calamity. In particular, the lines \u201cI heard about a whirlwind that\u2019s coming \u2018round \/ It\u2019s going to carry off all that isn\u2019t bound,\u201d which is followed by the mysterious repetition in “Nangs” of \u201cbut is there something more than that?\u201d This is finalized in “The Moment” when the chorus chides, \u201c\u2026oh it\u2019s getting closer.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    “Eventually” is a relapse in a crashing sound similar to Lonerism <\/i>supports this as Parker is informing a lover that he will inevitably be the cause of pain at some point. Through the relentlessly funky “The Less I Know the Better,” the more conceptual “Past Life,” and “Disciples,” the trouble being delineated becomes more specific. By the tenth track, “\u2018Cause I\u2019m a Man,” the album blends both the conceptual and funky tones and it becomes clear this impending whirlwind was an inexplicable crack in a relationship. “Love\/Paranoia” is the first of the two final introspective tracks \u2013 one that tries to work beneath the urges that caused the two lovers to part ways. In “New Person, Same Old Mistakes,” the nail in the coffin is \u201c\u2026you\u2019ve got your demons and she\u2019s got her regrets.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

    Admittedly, like many other Tame Impala fans, it gets easy for me to obsess over the meaning of these songs. I believe this is what made Currents<\/i>\u00a0stand out a head above its competition this year. Further, this is what I believe makes Tame Impala stand a head above competition in general. Very few songs retain such an avant-garde individuality while still being captivating enough to listen to when you’re not looking to think. The group struck dynamism in this album similar to Radiohead\u2019s Kid A<\/i>. There is so much layered into this album both lyrically and musically \u2013 from that extra dribble of the snare in between the song\u2019s regular kick to the subtle hints dropped in the vocal tone as the songs progress. In summary, Currents<\/i> is well worth your time. It has just about everything for everybody \u2013 a little Beatles, a pinch of Toro y Moi, and maybe a hint of Michael Jackson. These songs will rudiment in your mind longer than you\u2019ll be willing to admit.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Viet Cong, <\/strong>Viet Cong<\/strong>\u00a0<\/i><\/h5>\n

    By John McCain<\/p>\n

    \"53944b3f\"Viet Cong\u2019s self-titled debut full length album has persistently enthralled me more than most any other piece of music to come out this year.\u00a0 Matt Flegel\u2019s voice presents a visceral, bitter, and world weary tone, and the record has a beautiful balance of experimental abrasiveness and catchy not-quite-pop melodies which keeps it equally accessible and captivating.\u00a0 Dark and grainy textures permeate through the entire album, and gratifying and catchy songs like Continental Shelf and Silhouettes give relief between wonderfully indulgent songs like Death, the album\u2019s 11 minute long closer.\u00a0 Viet Cong is certainly sonically reminiscent of its progenitor, Calgary based art rock\/math rock group Women, another personal favorite of mine.\u00a0 Despite this, the core soul and sound of the band shines through as refreshingly original, and Viet Cong has certainly earned its place as one of KJHK\u2019s favorite albums of 2015.<\/p>\n

    Jamie xx,\u00a0In Colou<\/em><\/strong>r<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/h5>\n

    By Pat McQuillan<\/p>\n

    \"Jamie-xx-in-colour\"At the age of 27 Jamie Smith has built quite the repertoire. In 2005 he and his London school mates came together and became\u00a0the indie darlings of The xx, quickly making waves across the UK. While on the road with his band Jamie managed to remix Gil-Scott Heron\u2019s record I\u2019m New Here<\/em> into the beautifully evolved\u00a0We\u2019re New Here<\/em>. As he balanced both The xx and Heron\u2019s projects, he was dropping remix after remix of his favorite tracks. This kid just wouldn\u2019t quit. Even with all of this going on, he made time to gear up for his first studio effort. On May 29th, just in time for summer, Jamie dropped In Colour<\/em>. The first time I heard this record my friends and I were cruising around Lawrence aimlessly. There\u2019s no better way to hear an album for the first time then sitting shotgun in your friend\u2019s car. It took about 30 seconds and instantly I was hooked. The first words spoken on the record are \u201cOh my gosh!\u201d Fitting. That\u2019s exactly what I was thinking.<\/p>\n

    The album feels less like a record and more like a burnt CD from Jamie himself. His tracks are dripping with influence. Trance, grime, rave, breakbeat, reggae, dubstep, U.K. funky, and pop are just a few of the seemingly endless\u00a0genres he weaves in and out of his tracks. Every song on In Colour<\/em> could stand alone if need be, but his transitions give us no reason to play one song at a time. This record is at its best when played from start to finish. Jamie XX certainly didn\u2019t forget where he came from. He features The xx bandmates Romy and Oliver on three of his eleven tracks and they fit ever so perfectly. Other noteworthy collaborators include Alicia Keys, Young Thug, Krucial, and Hugh Masekela.<\/p>\n

    Some stand out tracks include: Loud Places (featuring The xx bandmate Romy Madley Croft), I Know There\u2019s Gonna Be Good Times (featuring Young Thug and Popcaan), and my personal favorite Obvs, a tropical track made up almost entirely of steel drums. (YouTube this now and thank me later). I can\u2019t tell you how many unnecessary car rides I\u2019ve taken just to hear this album front to back. It\u2019s study music. It\u2019s pregame music. All in all, it\u2019s a delicious record. For good vibes all around, check out In Colour<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    Oneohtrix Point Never,\u00a0Garden of Delete<\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/h5>\n

    By PJ Moon<\/p>\n

    \"416XqjdYwiL._SY300_\"Imagine this: The year is 1994. You\u2019re a delicate young flower, 6 years old,\u00a0and Bill Clinton is the president. Everyone is wearing ugly jeans, Green Day just\u00a0released a good pop album, McDonalds still sucks, and the blockbuster film Speed is\u00a0still new and people can\u2019t get enough of it. Your parents are pretty dope. They listen\u00a0to good music, your mom puts Alanis Morisette\u2019s Jagged Little Pill tape in the car\u2019s\u00a0tape deck every day on the way to school. Good memories. Every light has its\u00a0shadow though and the shadow always following the light in my childhood was hair\u00a0metal. My parents, although having decent tastes for the most part, were hair metal\u00a0fiends. I know more hair metal hits than I should. By 1994, hair metal was already\u00a0long dead but they still played it on Kansas radio like it was alive and well. I knew\u00a0these hair metal memories weren\u2019t completely unique but I never expected anyone\u00a0to derive inspiration from them in the way that Oneohtrix Point\u00a0Never has with his new album, Garden of Delete<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    Garden of Delete<\/em> is a haunting listen that picks through a lot of trashy late\u00a0`80s and early `90s guitar hits. Listening to this album, I can hear ghosts of my\u00a0musical past possessing Oneohtrix Point Never\u2019s muse. Sometimes obvious, sometimes not so much, the influence of crappy tunes like Queensr\u00ffche\u2019s 1989 hit,\u00a0\u201cI Don\u2019t Believe In Love\u201d and 1989\u2019s other slam dunk hit, \u201cClose My Eyes Forever\u201d by\u00a0platinum blonde big hair duo, Lita Ford and Ozzy Osbourne, are heard by the\u00a0heedful ear that knew\u00a0these songs when they were still being played on the radio\u00a0with some regularity. These two songs employ a ridiculously big guitar sound that\u00a0accompanies lyrics also ridiculously big and shallow.\u00a0Neither Queensr\u00ffche nor Litad Ford and Ozzy are the subject in focus though;\u00a0we are talking about Oneohtrix Point Never\u2019s Garden of Delete<\/em>.<\/p>\n

    Using a guitar high in\u00a0the mix for the first time in his recording career, Daniel Lopatin (the man behind\u00a0Oneohtrix Point Never), has emulated the darker tone created by the production\u00a0behind those two hits. No sweat though, he has abstained from the hair metal vocal\u00a0work. It\u2019s such an uncanny thing and that\u2019s what, to me, is my favorite thing about\u00a0this album. There\u2019s something strikingly familiar about Garden of Delete<\/em> yet at the\u00a0same time it isn\u2019t a stale mess of rock guitar worship. Utilizing dreamy samples in\u00a0his sound the same way he did on his 2011 release, Replica and the crystalline synth\u00a0work featured in 2013\u2019s R Plus Seven<\/em>, Daniel Lopatin has created a sound that\u2019s\u00a0altogether new and reverent of the past without being completely derivative. Even if\u00a0you aren\u2019t old enough to remember hearing moody, late era hair metal hits semi-regularly on the radio, Garden of Delet<\/em>e is an expertly crafted album and a rewarding\u00a0listen.<\/p>\n

    Get interactive:<\/p>\n

    Browse the web, sift through the piling detritus of an absurdist\u2019s pop culture\u00a0dream and at some point you\u2019ll reach a feeling of being overwhelmed. Everything\u00a0sucks, right? Now, back away from the computer and put on Garden of Delete<\/em>.\u00a0Crank it up though. Grab a drink. Return to your computer\u00a0and type \u201cwww.oocities.org\u201d into the browser\u2019s web address bar, hit enter. The ugly\u00a0web page on the screen before you is the optimal visual accompaniment to \u00a0Garden of Delete<\/em>. Oneohtrix Point Never\u2019s Garden of Delete<\/em> is essentially \u201cDelete me from this website, please. I don\u2019t like it\u00a0here\u201d set to music.<\/p>\n

    Courtney Barnett,\u00a0<\/strong>Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/h5>\n

    By Caroline Roe<\/p>\n

    \"Sometime-I-Sit\"For the second year in a row, Courtney Barnett has made KJHK\u2019s Top Ten list,\u00a0which helps folks realize that it\u2019s completely deserved. Her fantastic debut album, Sometimes I Sit\u00a0and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit,<\/em> recently earned her a Grammy nomination and\u00a0landed her on numerous \u201cBest Of\u201d lists, just like this one.\u00a0The most noticeable and revered aspect of Sometimes I Sit and Think, and\u00a0Sometimes I Just Sit<\/em> is the witty, personal, poetic, and comedic lyrics that have come to\u00a0define Barnett. Similar to Ben Folds in that \u201chow many words can I fit into eight bars?\u201dway, Barnett\u2019s songs are equally vague, humorous, and relatable, but never appear rushed\u00a0or overthought. Her deadpan delivery coupled with her ability to shred like no other\u00a0embody an emerging genre of musician, along with Mac DeMarco and essentially anyone\u00a0who lives in a 20 miles radius from Los Angeles, that subscribes to a DIY ethos and\u00a0makes the listener think \u201cHey, I can do that!\u201d This reputation makes her the perfect\u00a0candidate to be this generation\u2019s \u201cnext-door cool girl\u201d like Kim Deal was in the 90’s.<\/p>\n

    The album\u2019s biggest single, \u201cPedestrian at Best,\u201d is a dive into Barnett\u2019s feeling\u00a0towards her newfound fame and success, and it captures a sense of uncertainty without\u00a0sounding too self-critical or ungrateful. The specificity she evokes out of everyday\u00a0struggles, the repetitive bass line, and the frantic guitar all contribute to an overall feeling of\u00a0anxiety, which is a common theme throughout the entire album. Other songs like \u201cAn\u00a0Illustration of Loneliness\u201d, \u201cSmall Poppies\u201d, and \u201cBoxing Day Blues\u201d are more\u00a0sentimental; quieter, with obvious tones of depression and self-doubt. These\u00a0are balanced out with funnier, wittier songs like \u201cElevator Operator\u201d and \u201cNobody Really\u00a0Cares If You Don\u2019t Go to the Party.\u201d Barnett found the perfect balance and kept her\u00a0album from becoming either too gloomy or carefree, which is obviously appealing to her audience.<\/p>\n

    Barnett\u2019s music is some of the freshest on the radio today. It takes cues from ’90s salt-rock heroes like Pavement, the Breeders, and Husker D\u00fc but is also reminiscent of ’60s pop and early blues-influenced rock. This mix of sounds, along with her ingenious\u00a0crafting of lyrics, help Barnett stand out from the electro-heavy and arguably\u00a0emotionally detached music that\u2019s gained popularity recently. Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit<\/em>\u00a0is effortlessly conscious and cool, and it wouldn\u2019t surprise me if she landed herself on next year\u2019s Top Ten list once\u00a0again.<\/p>\n

    Drake,\u00a0<\/strong>If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/h5>\n

    By Emily Davidson<\/p>\n

    \"Drake_-_If_You're_Reading_This_It's_Too_Late\"Oh, Drake. I\u2019m really not sure how to write this review for your \u201cmixtape\u201d album put out this year\u2026<\/p>\n

    Honestly, I have always been hesitant to admit that I like Drake, his lyrics having often been whiny and egotistical, lacking a depth or substance of content, qualities which other rap artists capture with ease.<\/p>\n

    That being said, I love Drake. Yes, that statement comes from my white-girl perspective on rap, but I do. Even if at times I find myself rolling my eyes at the lyrics, this album somehow ends up on my stereo on repeat with the bass vibrating my apartment. This album, or mix-tape as Drake would prefer us to call it, is well put together. Drake is consistently good with slow lyrics and moody beats, which are approachable to anyone. He makes rap that is easy to listen to, typically including catch-phrase choruses that stick in your brain.<\/p>\n

    My favorites on the album are “Know Yourself” and “You & The 6.” Both tracks are on the introspective side for Drake and seem a little less egocentric and more honest than others. They capture the essence of Drake\u2019s style with memorable, catchy choruses slowed to an approachable tempo, and utilize repetition so the listener sings along and remembers it later.<\/p>\n

    Moody beats with harsher vocals and hook filled choruses like “Energy,” “10 Bands,” and “6 Man” get your adrenaline going and make you feel part of the hype and the angsty \u2018under appreciated genius\u2019 of Drake. Slower tracks with softer rhythm like “Legend,” “Madonna,” “Used To,” and “Now & Forever” give the listener something to vibe to.\u00a0 He loses something in the middle though, when Lil Wayne joins for a few tracks. This is the part of the album, for me, that feels similar to a mix-tape, seeming less explored \/ put-together. To end the album, of course, he had to add something for the ladies. Like a seductive lullaby, “Jungle” softens the album, capturing your attention (and your heart). This was the song I came back to the album for after playing it for the first time.<\/p>\n

    All in all, I do love this album. At the expense of losing my credibility as a lover of rap and hip-hop, I do have to admit\u2026 Drake is one of my favorites, and this album was definitely, for me, one of the best of 2015.<\/p>\n

    St. Germain,\u00a0<\/strong>St. Germain<\/strong>\u00a0<\/em><\/h5>\n

    By Shane Blair<\/p>\n

    \"stgermain2\"St. Germain\u2019s self-titled album is a spectacle of talent that is filled to the brim with addicting percussion beats, features \u00a0of endless tasteful solos using every jazzy instrument Ludovic Navarre (the man behind St. Germain) could get his hands on, and incorporates subtle house elements that add a texture to each song they couldn\u2019t live without. It\u2019s a melting pot of an album that blends many cultures of music into one soulful stew. I like to imagine that Ludovic took a trip around the world in preparation for this album. Visiting Ghana to play Djembe rhythms in drum cirlces, flying to St. Louis to listen to a piano solo in a jazz club, then heading back to France to hit a club then go directly to the studio. St. Germain<\/em> is amongst the worldliest albums out there and it succeeds in encapsulating as many distinct sounds from as many cultures as possible.<\/p>\n

    Unlike Tourist <\/em>(St. Germain\u2019s third album), this album separates house from nu-jazz and more heavily incorporates the latter. The electronic elements seem to serve as a compliment to the jazz until it can fully manifest in the later stages of a track. When the bass drum kicks in it arrives with the rest of the party. \u201cMary L.\u201d is an especially interesting track that takes on drum patterns reminiscent of those featured in trip-hop while maintaining a smooth jazzy feel. I swear, when the rhythm hits on that song the lights in the room will dim and tinge themselves blue. \u201cFamily Tree\u201d starts as a sweet piano solo that, over the course of 7 minutes, turns into a house tune with a saxophone jamming in between. \u201cSittin\u2019 Here\u201d hits off with a solid deep jive and sustains both a guitar solo and frequent vocal inputs from a Malian singer. Each song has pieces of the world in it, and it sounds great on a technical level, too. The recording and mastering engineers knew what needed to be done to achieve a great sounding album with solid dynamics.<\/p>\n

    This album is a ticket to Brazil, Mali, Kansas City, and France all at once. Though St. Germain<\/em> is on the softer side energy-wise, it still has the ability to get you dancing if you let it. It\u2019s clear that the main focus of this album was to be subtler in its execution than in his previous works while squeezing in as many elements as he could and I admire his success. The album as a whole came across as clean and mellow; a perfect stage for all of the solos that jumped around the entire soundscape. The return of Ludovic was, indeed, well received here at KJHK. Hopefully next time he plans a visit, and we don\u2019t have to wait 15 years before he arrives.<\/p>\n

    \u201cOh yeah, uh\u2026 I\u2019m stuck in Peru! Just uh, give me a month and I\u2019ll be there, I swear!\u201d<\/p>\n

    Kamasi Washington,\u00a0<\/strong>The Epic<\/strong><\/em><\/h5>\n

    by Kayci Lineberger<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    It’s times like these, when I’m staring down a piece\u00a0of art that is expansive, humble in it’s obvious magnificence, and appearing almost eternal and godlike, that I realize that I don’t know enough. In some areas, I feel competent. Wanna talk about The Goat Rodeo Sessions, Chris Thile’s mandolin shreds? Let me tell you about Nickel Creek’s ode to The Lord of The Rings that I’m still not over, 15 years after it was released.\u00a0But ask me about Jazz? I’ll shirk away, afraid of being run over by those obviously more knowledgable, many of them eager to tell you just how much they know. Kamasi Washington takes this pomp and side-eyeing into account, then shatters it with his debut solo release,\u00a0The Epic<\/em>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    It’s important to pay\u00a0respect to Kamasi’s work outside of this album. Kamasi has been playing tenor saxophone professionally for over 10 years, collaborated with Kendrick Lamar to do a large chunk of the arranging for the groundbreaking\u00a0To Pimp A Butterfly,\u00a0<\/em>and has worked with a spectrum of artists from Herbie Hancock to Chaka Khan\u00a0to Nas. He composed and played\u00a0keyboard and sax on Flying Lotus’\u00a0You’re Dead!,\u00a0<\/em>as well as sax on Thundercat’s\u00a0Them Changes.\u00a0<\/em>Kamasi also plays\u00a0with his modern 10 piece big band, The Next Step.<\/p>\n

    These musical companions, specifically Flying Lotus, Thundercat, and The Next Step\u00a0find\u00a0their way into the sounds \u00a0of\u00a0The Epic\u00a0<\/em>naturally. Spanning 3 discs and over 2 hours,\u00a0The Epic\u00a0<\/em>explores innumerable influences. The drive and encapsulating biblical chaos of\u00a0You’re Dead!\u00a0<\/em>can be found in tracks like “Miss Understanding”, and brooding Thundercat bass opens up\u00a0“The Magnificent 7.” While the album’s emphasis is Washington’s saxophone, The Next Step was with Washington every step of the way, creating the nestling sounds needed to let the saxophone shine.<\/p>\n

    What I find so entrancing about this album is the way it’s goliath and heavenly in expansiveness and content, yet remains humble. Washington gives every musician that lent a hand in the composition of\u00a0The Epic\u00a0<\/em>the space they deserve. This\u00a0gives the listener a plethora of musical experiences, treating you to funky bass riffs, The Bad Plus esque piano sessions, and soulful vocals. But in it’s two plus hours of run time,\u00a0The Epic\u00a0<\/em>doesn’t drag or fall in on itself; it provides even the most unexperienced ear an infinity of sounds to grasp onto. It is a virtuosic debut solo album unlike any that many contemporary jazz musicians will ever find, and explores the modern day concept of jazz, rewriting the standards with ease and warmth. A beautiful album to round out our Top 10,\u00a0The Epic\u00a0<\/em>is purely, a pleasure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    KJHK Top 10 Kendrick Lamar,\u00a0To Pimp A Butterfly Father John Misty,\u00a0I Love You, Honeybear Tame Impala,\u00a0Currents Viet Cong, Viet Cong Jamie xx,\u00a0In Colour Oneohtrix Point Never,\u00a0Garden of Delete Courtney Barnett,\u00a0Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit Drake,\u00a0If You’re Reading This, It’s Too late St. Germain,\u00a0St. Germain Kamasi Washington,\u00a0The Epic KJHK executive staff, DJ’s, and varying staff members contributed their lists to our Top 10 Albums of\u00a02015! Check out contributing staff lists! Below, you can find lovingly crafted […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1637,"featured_media":40241,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15,4,3268],"tags":[2951,2644,3371,4114,3720,4087,2773,4037,2639,2774,4115,3335,1067,2645,4116,2732,1360,3948,2656,3425,2934,2884,1395,1261,4117,4095,2758],"class_list":["post-40365","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-on-kjhk","category-music","category-music-articles","tag-caroline-roe","tag-courtney-barnett","tag-currents","tag-drake","tag-dylan-fox","tag-emily-davidson","tag-father-john-misty","tag-garden-of-delete","tag-harrison-hipp","tag-i-love-you-honeybear","tag-if-youre-reading-this-its-too-late","tag-in-colour","tag-jamie-xx","tag-john-mccain","tag-kamasi-washington","tag-kayci-lineberger","tag-kendrick-lamar","tag-oneohtrix-point-never","tag-pat-mcquillan","tag-pj-moon","tag-shane-blair","tag-sometimes-i-sit-and-think-and-sometimes-i-just-sit","tag-st-germain","tag-tame-impala","tag-the-epic","tag-to-pimp-a-butterfly","tag-viet-cong"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/to-pimp-a-butterfly.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40365","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1637"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40365"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40365\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40241"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40365"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40365"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kjhk.org\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40365"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}