I feel a change in the air. Working at Stinkweeds, we have become sensitive to the ebb and flow of musical ideas and trends. Of course, music is constantly evolving and devolving. Both, the evolution and the devolution are crucial to these dramatic shifts. Influence from the music of the past is equally as important as new ideas and sounds. Relatability is at the heart of objectively good music. But, it takes that shift in ideas to shake things up. This isn’t to say that music has been completely stagnant for so many years. Music always endures and delivers fresh ideas. It’s those moments where we’re all kind of left scratching our heads, unable to fully process the thing that is happening in front of us, that something new is born. Most bands and genres can be traced back to a source of inspiration. Sometimes, those sources are so prevalent that it changes the landscape. With a lot of the music that happened in 2015, we are seeing new ideas starting to sprout and some shedding of older trends. Things seem ripe for another little renaissance. In fact, I can think of many cases where this has already started. I’m sure, with all our picks and those of the contributors we have reached out to, you’ll find some of those new ideas, along with some music you might have missed.

As we compile our lists of 5 albums, we would like you to think about what albums would make your list. What has caught and kept your attention in a sea of music, often delivered non stop to our ears. Feel free to share your top picks in the comments below, along with a few words, stating what you found in these albums and songs. If you share, we will enter you into a raffle for a $20 Stinkweeds Gift Card, just in time for the holidays and a new year of music.

Our Top 5s will be up on Friday December 11th, along with some favorite show picks!