Top 10 Guitar Rock Songs: 2015 Edition

Guitar rock in 2015 solidified two already growing trends: one, female and trans voices fronting more bands, bringing with them a fresh perspective rock really needed; and two, vibe over energy. The best rock this year moved from just being gnarly sounding to making you feel gnarly feelings.

So yes, there were significantly less anthemic tunes this year compared to the ones on my list for 2014. This year’s list illustrates this emotional side of rock music. Besides the first “must listen” track, I’ve assembled the back nine in no particular order, as well as an expanded list of honorable mentions that are still very worth your time.

(For interested parties, this year’s biggest disappointment was the general lack of Japandroids. Let’s fix that in 2016, guys.)

Must Listen

Courtney Barnett, “Pedestrian at Best” (Mom + Pop Music)
Nothing like a little bit of quintessential “fuck you” to lead the genre this year. Barnett’s lead single from her excellent Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit has everything you need in a good rock song: loud, abrasive and otherwise unrelenting riffs and a target—in this case, the music industry—we can all agree is outrageous.

The Rest

Beach Slang, “Throwaways” (Polyvinyl Records)
No one’s going to make a case for Beach Slang’s The Things We Do to Find People Who Feel Like Us as album of the year—nor should they. This is a record of straightforward rock, after all. What the album and its opener “Throwaways” do, however, is set the scene for some of the most explosive and uplifting rock music heard since Japandroids’ “House That Heaven Built.” It’s clutch music for scum people.

Tame Impala, “Eventually” (Interscope Records)
Tame Impala’s Currents is the microcosm of the aforementioned vibe-rock trend, and “Eventually” is the most representative sample. Its chorus is like the buzz from the first sip of coffee in the morning. Even if it feels like a break-up song, once frontman Kevin Parker is surrounded by the band’s texture for his melismatic “ah,” everything feels right.

Deafheaven, “Come Back” (Anti- Records)
At its most emotional peak, “Come Back” sounds an awful lot like My Chemical Romance’s “Ghost of You” (at least to me). This is not to discredit New Bermuda or “Come Back” in any way; it actually makes the song all the more effective. Deafheaven’s will to integrate striking melody into their cacophony is perfectly represented, allowing the song to also serve as an example of why Deafheaven is black metal’s best black sheep.

Titus Andronicus, “Dimed Out” (Merge Records)
The Most Lamentable Tragedy is a bit heavy-handed, even by frontman Patrick Stickles’ standards. But even if you don’t wish to give the 90-minute album the time of day, there are some real standouts in its vast storyline. The best one is “Dimed Out,” a real fist-pump mosher about experiencing everything at its most extreme. It’s as Titus Andronicus as the band has been since “Titus Andronicus.”

Sheer Mag, “Fan the Flames” (Wilsuns RC/Katorga Works)
Much like Beach Slang, Sheer Mag has built its power-pop revivalist rep on two incredible EPs. The second one, the pragmatically titled II, came out this year and sports “Fan the Flames,” a straight groove that recalls Alex Chilton if he were on Goner Records. And like all solid power-pop, it’s as unassuming as it is addictive.

Car Seat Headrest, “Something Soon” (Matador Records)
“Something Soon” feels like the spiritual descendant of Wolf Parade’s “This Heart’s on Fire.” Both are the kind of songs that make you sing-along until your throat cuts out. As Car Seat Headrest, Will Toledo has created a grandiose, bigger-than-yourself moment that requires you to scream its entire four-minute length to ensure you’re still alive.

G.L.O.S.S. “G.L.O.S.S. (We’re From the Future)” (self-relesed)
The introductory demo by Girls Living Outside Society’s Shit might be the finest hardcore record to come out this year, and the leadoff track makes vocalist and transwoman Sadie Switchblade’s intentions pretty clear: “Now they tell us we aren’t girls, our femininity doesn’t fit. We’re fucking future girls, living outside of society’s shit.”

Hop Along: “Waitress” (Saddle Creek Records)
The best vocal performance on a rock song this year goes to Frances Quinlan. Before her every breath on “Waitress,” you never know where she’s going. She might be on the verge of letting loose or releasing her distress with a breathy delivery. Quinlan’s dynamic voice gives her an emotional tangibility that makes the listener not only empathize with her, but feel that the feeling is mutual. Not many songs can do that.

Sorority Noise, “Nolsey” (Topshelf Records)
Out of all the songs on Joy, Departed, “Nolsey” captures the Sorority Noise best. Over some Weezer-style guitar chugging and straight-up rock flourishes, we hear Cameron Boucher yearn for happiness and love. It’s like a much drearier version of “Perfect Situation.” Sorority Noise’s ability to rock out like this allows them to mask depression in a wave of catharsis. That’s the magic (if you want to call it that) of Sorority Noise.

Honorable Mentions

Girlpool, “Crowded Stranger” (Wichita Recordings)
All Dogs, “That Kind of Girl” (Salinas Records)
Twerps, “I Don’t Mind” (Merge Records)
The World Is a Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid to Die, “January 10th, 2014” (Epitaph Records)
White Reaper, “Don’t You Think I Know”
Modern Baseball, “The Waterboy Returns”
Spraynard, “Applebee’s Bar”