This was an amazing year to cover Chicago music. So many bands across a wide variety of genres churned out incredible albums, mixtapes and EPs that made this city the best place in America for new music. Because of the wealth of talent found within the city limits, this list easily could have been 50 instead of 10. If you’re looking for “Surf” or Towkio’s album, know that a handful of local releases made my list of the 20 best albums of the year. This list, on the other hand, focuses solely on the under-the-radar releases deserving of love that haven’t yet received it. If you’re looking for
RedEye’s top 20 albums of 2015 list, that’s here. You’ll find the year’s top 20 songs right here.
10. Lili K, “Ruby”
Placing herself in the zeitgeist of Leon Bridges and Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Lili K (whose full voice and retro soul carry the album’s jazzy offerings) established herself as Chicago’s go-to crooner for vintage sounds made new. This album is a grower.
9. Santah, “Chico”
Man, there are so many great choruses on this album. “Here Are My Shells” might be the most endlessly listenable local rock song of the year, and other cuts, such as “Did We Sing?,” come damn close too.
8. Homme, “Homme”
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The duo of Marrow’s Macie Stewart and local musician Sima Cunningham, Homme had one of the year’s best EPs. The impressive harmonies sometime soar above even the considerable vocal chemistry displayed between Stewart and Cunningham’s brother Liam Kazar in Marrow.
7. Vamos, “Spiderbait”
While the city always has an excellent slew of garage rock releases, Vamos’ “Spiderbait” was pretty much the cream of the crop. If you like rock ’n’ roll played blazingly fast and loud, you’ll dig this.
6. Leather Corduroys, “Season”
Savemoney’s Joey Purp and Kami de Chukwu formed Leather Corduroys and set a high bar for Chicago rap after dropping “Season” early this year. The chorus of “Mexican Coke” would have ranked toward the top of my 2015 songs list had it not dropped in 2014.
5. Varsity, “Varsity”
Cult of Personality / So Sad, So Sad by VARSITY
Forgetting to place Varsity in my mid-year roundup of the best local releases was probably my most-embarrassing moment as RedEye music reporter. As far as jangly indie pop goes, Chicago couldn’t match this band’s self-titled release.
4. Eryn Allen Kane, “Aviary: Act 1”
What a year for Eryn Allen Kane. She had a small role in “Chi-Raq,” prominently appeared on “Surf,” worked with Prince and seems poised to take over the world next year. “Aviary: Act 1” is just a taste of what’s to come (its companion piece is dropping in January). But there isn’t a crisper, more refined voice coming out of this city. “Slipping” and “Have Mercy” are perfect doses of soul-pop.
3. Ryley Walker, “Primrose Green”
I’m running out of things to say about Ryley Walker. Over the past year, I’ve written a lot about how this is an incredible folk release in the same vein as Van Morrison’s “Astral Weeks.” It’s good! He’s got a great voice and is a superb guitar player.
2. Circuit Des Yeux, “In Plain Speech”
All year I didn’t hear anything quite like “In Plain Speech,” the gorgeous full-length from Haley Fohr, who performs as Circuit Des Yeux. Her deep alto is positively mesmerizing, adding layers of emotional nuance to every track. She reaches dramatic heights on dark cuts like “Ride Blind,” and elsewhere she’s understated and morose, like on chamber-pop highlight “Fantasize the Scene.”
1. Mick Jenkins, “Wave[s]”
When he released “The Water[s]” in 2014, Mick Jenkins already had placed himself at the top tier of Chicago rap. “Wave[s]” is a midway point between that project and his upcoming album “The Healing Component.” Instead of being a wholly cohesive project surrounding a single idea, this EP moves in a variety of satisfying ways. “Your Love” highlights Jenkins’ ability to create a dance floor hit, and other tracks, such as the wordplay-heavy “P’s and Q’s,” document how icy and unbeatable his flow can be.
Honorable mentions: Dastardly, “The Hollow,” Hundred Heads, “The Expanding Planet,” G Herbo, “Ballin Like I’m Kobe,” J Fernandez, “Many Levels of Laughter,” Ty Money, “Cinco De Money,” Jeremih, “Late Nights: The Album,” Jimmy Whispers, “Summer In Pain.”
[email protected], @joshhterry
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