The Century So Far in Music Part IV

The Best Albums of 2015 through 2019

Strap in! It’s another long one. This one contains 26 albums.

26. Punishers - The Slow Death

This one was released in July 2017 by Rad Girlfriend Records. I remember that it was recommended to me by Dave.

25. The Cross and the Switchblade - Wolves&Wolves&Wolves&Wolves

This North Carolina based band released this one in September 2016. Some of my favorites from this album include “Always a Rebel,” “Cathedral,” “Hallelujah,” and “Give Me Conviction.” A band that I sang with for about 5 minutes (not literally) opened for this band once at the Blue Note in Oklahoma City. Hanging out with them was fun.

24. Mass Cadescence - The Flatliners

This one is actually an EP and not a full length album but I included it anyway. It was released in May 2018 by Dine Alone Records. It included “The Arousal of Repair,” “Moves Too Quickly,” and “Wide Eyes.”

23. Attic Salt - Attic Salt

This Springfield, Illinois based band released their self-titled debut in October 2017. I really enjoyed the shared vocals between Andy and Alyssa.

22. Fight the Food Fight - The Interrupters

This one was released on Hellcat Records in June 2018. Some of my favorites on the album include “Title Holder,” “She’s Kerosene,” “Leap of Faith,” “Gave You Everything,” and “Be Gone.” I wrote a little bit more about it when I listed it on my top albums of 2018.

21. The White Album EP - The All Brights

This was released in June 2018 via Red Scare Industries. The All Brights were kind of a supergroup. I mainly knew of them because of the membership of Dave Hause. This was a fun album. My favorites includes “Last Blue Text,” and “I’m Buying a Boat” which features guest vocals by Poli Van Dam (formerly from The Bombpops).

20. Stella Sapiente - The Lillingtons

The Lillingtons formed in 1995 in Laramie, Wyoming. Kody Templeman of the band also plays for Teenage Bottlerocket. This album was released in October 2017 and was their first album released in almost 10 years (their previous LP being The Too Late show in 2006). Some really good songs from this one are the opening track “Golden Dawn/Knights Templar,” “Cult of Dragon,” and “Night Visions.”

19. Victory Lap - Propagandhi

Canadian punk band Propagandhi is another band that I got into later than most. This one was their 7th LP and was released in September 2017 by Epitaph Records.

18. Love And Other Crimes - Masked Intruder

Technically not a full length album, this EP by the band was released in July 2016 by Pure Noise Records. My favorite song from the EP is “First Start Tonight.”

17. Move Like a Ghost - Toyguitar

Of all of the Jack Dalrymple projects (One Man Army, Dead To Me, Swingin Utters, Re-Volts), Toyguitar has always been my favorite. This one was released in September 2016 by Fat Wreck Chords.

16. III - Masked Intruder

Another LP on this list from these goofy guys, this one was originally released in March 2019 by Pure Noise. It was re-released in July 2020 as III Turbo with additional tracks.

15. Railer - Lagwagon

The band’s most recent release was put out in October 2019 by Fat Wreck Chords. It includes some great songs such as “Stealing Light,” “Surviving California,” “Fan Fiction,” and an amazing cover of the Journey song “Faithfully.”

14. Fucked - The Shell Corporation

This album by the Los Angeles based punk band was released in March 2018 by La Escalera Records. I had just heard of the band that year but this was a favorite of mine from that year. It was their 3rd LP. My favorite tunes from the album are the opening track "Kumbaya" as well as "Make It Rain," "Fighting For" and "All Down to Me."

13. Spirale Infernale - Airstream Futures

This was the debut album from this Chicago based punk band that consisted of members from bands such as The Methadones, The Bomb, and Bow & Spear. The band was recommended to me by a friend of mine that used to write a music blog called Rocket Fuel. I’m not sure what it is about this band that I like so much. I just really like them. Unfortunately, the band split up recently. If you check out the Bandcamp entry for this album, which was released in 2017 close enough, you will see that they give me props for putting them on my best of 2017 list.

12. Red City Radio - Red City Radio

This self titled album by the Oklahoma City based punk band was released in April 2015 by Staple Records. It is the follow up to another album that appeared on this list, Titles.

11. Yay - Adam Darowski

Released in November 2015, Adam used to play for a band called Ego Booster and then start doing stuff here and there on his own. Some really good tunes on this album include “Thanks Obama,” “The City,” “Power Chords and Fragile Words,” and “All My Axes are Exes.”

10. Into the Agony - Smoking Popes

Another entry from the Chicago band, this one was released in October 2018 by Asian Man Records. It is their first album to feature the original lineup since 2001's The Party's Over. My favorites on the album are "Amanda My Love," "When You Want Something," "Little Lump of Coal," and "Melting America" (which includes some guest vocals from Flatfoot 56's Tobin Bawinkel.

9. After the Party - The Menzingers

What? The Menzingers again? Yeah, here they are again. This album was released in February 2017 by Epitaph Records. I wrote a review of this album for my old Wordpress Otter Limits blog. Some favorite songs from this one are “Lookers,” “Midwestern States,” “Black Mass,” “Boy Blue,” and “Bad Catholics.”

8. In the End - Nothington

Another band I got into too late. I say too late on this one because by the time I really got into them, they announced they were splitting up. Never got to see them live. This one was their final album and was released in February 2017 by Red Scare Industries. It was the #1 album on my best of 2017 list.

7. Death Ride - Don’t Make Ghosts

This is a local Oklahoma City based band. Good bunch of guys. This band was formed, I think, mostly from the ashes of the band The Roustabouts. At the very least, it contains members from that band. Again, great bunch of guys that make good music. Their bass player is a real estate agent and sold me the house that I currently live in. Anyway, this one is their debut EP and it absolutely amazing. It was released in October 2016 by Death to False Hope. It was #1 on my best of list from that year. I’m just going to list the tracks here because they are all great: “Upside of Sorrow,” “Wrecking,” “Bottles of Wine,” “Pine Box,” and “Highway 27.”

6. Bury Me in Philly - Dave Hause

Another Dave Hause selection to add, this one was released in February 2017 by Rise Records. It was his 3rd full length album. It was on my best of list for that year. Strangely, it did not top the list that year.

5. Kick - Dave Hause

Oh hey, another one from Philadelphia’s Dave Hause. This one was released in April 2019 on Rise Records. It was on my 2019 best of list and unlike the previous album, did top that list. Such a great album. Some favorites from it are “Bearing Down,” “Saboteurs,” “The Ditch,” “Warpaint,” and “Fireflies.”

4. Age of Unreason - Bad Religion

I like 99% of what this band does so it should come as no surprise that if they released an album, it’s going to appear on a best of list for that year. By the way, I saw 99% because the album Into the Unknown is not that great. This one is the most recent release by the band and was released in May 2019. Damn, has it been that long since they’ve released something? Anyway, some favorites of this one include “My Sanity,” the title track, “Candidate,” and “Lose Your Head.”

3. Hypercaffium Spazzinate - Descendents

This one is the band’s most recent full length studio album and was released in July 2016. It was their first since 2004s Cool To Be You. Another favorite band of mine, this one reached #20 on the US Billboard 200 and #1 on the Billboard Independent albums chart. Here is a list of some favorite songs from the album: “Shameless Halo,” “Victim of Me,” “On Paper,” and “Without Love.”

2. You Can’t Stay Here - Iron Chic

Yet another band that I got into late, this one is another band that formed from the ashes of Latterman. This band has since become one of my favorites. When the album came out, however, in October 2017, I liked it but not near as much as I like it now. While it did appear on my best of list for that year, it only ranked at #14. If I were to do that list now, clearly it would be #1. This is such a good album and probably my favorite from the band. This one almost made #1 on this particular list. I went back and forth on it. Ultimately, I like the next album just a little bit more.

1. Be More Kind - Frank Turner

Quite clearly my favorite album from this UK artist and one of my favorites (quite possibly THE favorite) album of the century. This one was released in May 2018 by Xtra Mile. It was my #1 on that year’s list. Ever since the album came out it has been a favorite. The message of the album is fantastic: don’t be a jerk. It reached #95 on the US Billboard 200. Much too high on that chart if you ask me. It did hit #3 on the UK Albums chart. Favorite songs….hmmm….that’s hard. Obviously the title track. Other than that I’ll have to go with “1933,” “Make America Great Again,” “Brave Face,” and “Little Changes.”

Ok, that’s it for this one. Stay tuned for part 5 of this series. The next one is the last one and covers 2020 through 2024.