Every year, WPKN polls our hosts to nominate their favorite picks of the year, and 2015 is no different. Our hosts are volunteers, and they put everything they’ve got into making the most unique, entertaining, and informative programs together.

Bob Anderson: “A Little Bit Of Everything”

  • The Bros. Landreth: Let It Lie (Slate Creek)
  • Arlen Roth: Slide Guitar Summit (Aquinnah)
  • Los Lobos: Gates of Gold (SLG)
  • Kamasi Washington: The Epic (Brainfeeder)
  • Lord Huron: Strange Trails (IAMSOUND)
  • John Scofield: Past Present (Impulse!)
  • Alabama Shakes: Sound & Color (ATO)
  • Bobby Rush: Chicken Heads: A 50-Year History of Bobby Rush (Omnivore)
  • John Coltrane: A Love Supreme (Impulse!)
  • Jon Cleary: GoGo Juice (FHQ)

Daniel Bass: “Monsoon Radio”

  • Courtney Barnett: Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (Mom+Pop)
  • Various Artists: Don’t Think I’ve Forgotten – Cambodia’s Lost Rock and Roll (O.S.T.) (Dust-to-Digital)
  • Tame Impala: Currents (Modular)
  • Red Baraat: Gaadi of Truth (Sin-J)
  • Ex Hex: Rips (Merge)
  • Tal National: Zoy Zoy (Fatcat)
  • Various Artists: Love, Peace & Poetry – Asian Psychedelic Music (Normal)
  • Shye Ben Tzur, Jonny Greenwood and the Rajasthan Express: Junun (Nonesuch)
  • Omar Khorshid: Guitar El Chark (Sublime Frequencies)
  • EL VY: Return to the Moon (4AD)

Paul Bercovici: “For Rock Snobs Only”

  • Helen: The Original Faces (Kranky)
  • Flyying Colors: EPX2 (Shelflife)
  • Best Coast: California Nights (Harvest)
  • Flying Saucer Attack: Instrumentals 2015 (Drag City)
  • The Brian Jonestown Massacre: Mini-Album Thingy Wingy (A Records)
  • Swervedriver: I Wasn’t Born to Lose You (Cobraside)
  • Wavves/Cloud Nothings: No Life For Me (Ghost Ramp)
  • The Black Ryder: The Door Behind the Door (The Anti-Machine Machine)
  • Myrrors: Arena Negra (Beyond Beyond is Beyond)
  • Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds: Chasing Yesterday (Sour Mash)

Peter Bochan: “All Mixed Up”

  • The Claudettes: No Hotel (Yellow Dog)
  • Kevin Gordon: Long Gone Time (Crow)
  • Ozark Henry: Paramount (Sony Music, Belgium)
  • Julia Holter: Have You In My Wilderness (Domino)
  • Jamie xx: In Colour (Young Turks)
  • Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp A Butterfly (Aftermath)
  • Lord Huron: Strange Tails (IAMSOUND)
  • Sufjan Stevens: Carrie & Lowel (Asthmatic Kitty)
  • Tame Impala: Currents (Interscope)
  • Pete Townsend: Classical Quadrophenia (Deutsche Grammaphon)

Eric Cocks: “Connections”

  • Courtney Barnett: Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (Mom+Pop)
  • Hillary Bratton: Tears On My Pillow, But The Rest Of The Bed’s OK (Hillary Bratton)
  • Peter Case: Hwy 62 (Omnivore)
  • Bob Dylan: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 12: The Cutting Edge 1965-1966 Deluxe Edition and Collector’s Edition (Columbia)
  • Grimes: Art Angels (4AD)
  • Rickie Lee Jones: The Other Side Of Desire (The Other Side Of Desire)
  • Paper Pilots: “The Weather” (Honeymoon Drug)
  • Tame Impala: Currents (Modular)
  • YACHT: I Thought The Future Would Be Cooler (Downtown)
  • The Zombies: Still Got That Hunger (The End)

Del “in Transition”

  • Buddy Guy: Born to Play Guitar (Silvertone/RCA)
  • JD McPherson: Let the Good Times Roll (Rounder)
  • Billy F. Gibbons & the BFG’s: Perfectamundo (Concord)
  • Ryan Adams: 1989 (Pax-Am)
  • Hillary Bratton: Tears On My Pillow, But The Rest Of The Bed’s OK (Hillary Bratton)
  • Punch Brothers: The Phosphorescent Blues (Nonesuch)
  • Tongue in Trees: Parallel (SinJ)
  • Kamasi Washington: The Epic (Brainfeeder)
  • James Mauri 4: Phonographic (James Mauri)
  • Wild Adriatic: Never Enough EP (A House Mentality)

Steve di Costanzo: “Radio Base Camp”

  • Cairo Gang: Goes Missing (Drag City)
  • Four Tet: Morning/Evening (Text)
  • Robert Glasper: Covered (Live) (Blue Note)
  • Houndmouth: Little Neon Limelight (Rough Trade)
  • Frankie Knuckles: Defected Presents House Masters (Defected)
  • Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp a Butterfly (Aftermath)
  • Mbongwana Star: From Kinshasa (World Circuit)
  • Tame Impala: Currents (Modular)
  • Thee Oh Sees: Mutilator Defeated At Last (Castle Face)
  • Kamasi Washington: The Epic (Brainfeeder)

Chris Frantz: “The Talking Head”

  • Grace Jones: Hurricane Dub (Wall Of Sound)
  • Bob Dylan: The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Volume 12 (Columbia/Legacy)
  • Various Artists: Jamaica – Mento 1951-1958 (Frémeaux & Associés)
  • Various Artists: What It Is! Funky Soul and Rare Grooves – From the Vaults of Atlantic, ATCO, & Warner Brothers Records (Rhino)
  • Various Artists: Ork Records New York New York (Numero Group)
  • Various Artists: Florida Funk – Funk 45s from the Alligator State 1968-1975 (Jazzman/Now Again)
  • The Velvet Underground: Loaded, Reloaded 45th Anniversary Addition (Cotillion/Atlantic/Rhino )
  • Various Artists: Sam Phillips – The Man Who Invented Rock ’N’ Roll (YepRoc)
  • Nortec Collective Presents Bostich+Fussible: Motel Baja (Nacional)
  • Frank Sinatra: Ultimate Sinatra Centennial Collection (Capitol/Universal)

Cliff Furnald

  • Amadou Balaké: In Conclusion (Stern’s)
  • Lamia Bèdioui and the Desert Fish: Athamra (www.lamiabedioui.com)
  • Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino: Quaranta (Ponderosa)
  • The Henrys: Quiet Industry (www.thehenrys.ca)
  • Mari Kalkun and Runorun: Tii ilo (The Beauty Of The Road) (Rockadillo)
  • Kandia Kouyate: Renascence (Stern’s)
  • Monsieur Doumani: Sikoses (Monsieur Doumani)
  • Pato, Salvado, Pintos, Comesaña: Rústica (Do Fol)
  • Suistamon Sähkö: Suistamo Electric (Kihtinäjärvi, www.annemarikivimaki.fi)
  • Totó La Momposina: Tambolero (Real World)

Dave Hogan: “Dave Hogan Radio”

  • Bottle Rockets: Bottle Rockets/The Brooklyn Side (deluxe edition) (Bloodshot)
  • Son Volt: Trace (expanded & remastered edition) (Rhino/Warner Bros)
  • Big Star: #1 Record/Radio City (Fantasy)
  • Nuggets II: Original Artyfacts from the British Empire & Beyond (Rhino)
  • Willie Nelson & Merle Haggard: Django and Jimmie (Legacy)
  • Neko Case & Her Boyfriends: Furnace Room Lullaby (Anti/Epitaph)
  • Little Feat: Little Feat (Warner Bros)
  • Drive By Truckers: English Oceans (ATO)
  • Cream: Disraeli Gears (Polydor)
  • Anders Parker: There’s A Bluebird In My Heart (Recorded & Freed)

Simon Hunter: “Another Girl, Another Planet”

  • Deafheaven: New Bermuda (Anti-)
  • Floating Points: Elaenia (Pluto)
  • Girl Band: Holding Hands with Jamie (Rough Trade)
  • Harmonia: Complete Works (Grönland)
  • Helen: The Original Faces (Kranky)
  • La Luz: Weirdo Shrine (Hardly Art)
  • Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds: Live at KCRW (Bad Seed)
  • Penetration: The Virgin Years (Caroline International)
  • Public Image Ltd: What The World Needs Now (PIL Official)
  • Teeth of the Sea: Highly Deadly Black Tarantula (Rocket)

Rich Kaminsky: “Off-Beat”

  • MX-80 Sound: So Funny (MX-80 Sound)
  • Line and Circle: Split Figure (Grand Gallop)
  • Mike Pace and the Child Actors: Best Boy (The Self Starter Foundation)
  • Sleater-Kinney: No Cities to Love (Sub Pop)
  • The Bottle Rockets: South Broadway Athletic Club (Bloodshot)
  • Six String Drag: Roots Rock ‘n’ Roll (Royal Potato Family)
  • Diamond Rugs: Cosmetics (Sycamore)
  • Low Cut Connie: Hi Honey (Ardent/Contender)
  • Phil Yates and the Affiliates: No Need to Beg (Almost Halloween Time)
  • Worriers: Imaginary Life (Don Giovanni)

Allyson McCabe: “FM Mutations”*

  • Courtney Barnett: Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit (Mom+Pop)
  • David Bowie: Five Years 1969-1973 (Parlophone)
  • Bob Dylan: The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Volume 12 (Columbia/Legacy)
  • Mary Halvorson: Meltframe (Firehouse 12)
  • Jeff Lynne’s ELO: Alone in the Universe (Big Trilby/Columbia)
  • Various Artists: Ork Records – New York, New York (Numero)
  • Shopping: Why Choose? (FatCat)
  • Sonny and the Sunsets: Talent Night at the Ashram (Polyvinyl)
  • Bruce Springsteen: The Ties that Bind – The River Collection (Columbia)
  • Wilco: Star Wars (Anti-/dBpm)

Mark Mushin: “Mark Mushin’s Monday Morning Music”

  • Jay Jesse Johnson: Set The Blues On Fire (Grooveyard)
  • Dana Fuchs: Broken Down Acoustic Sessions (Antler King)
  • Station: Station (Haroo Music)
  • Maxx Explosion: Dirty Angels (Kivel)
  • Laurence Jones: What’s It Gonna Be (Ruf)
  • Lara Price: I Mean Business (VizzTone)
  • Danielle Nicole: Wolf Den (Concord)
  • Neal Schon: Vortex (Music Theories)
  • Tinsley Ellis: Tough Love (Heartfixer)
  • Robin Trower: Something’s About To Change (V-12)

Rick Petrone: “The Jazz Sound”

  • Terell Stafford: BrotherLee Love (Capri)
  • Kurt Elling: Passion World (Concord)
  • Denise Donatelli: Find a Heart (Savant)
  • Kamasi Washington: The Epic (Brainfeeder)
  • Christian McBride: Live at The Vanguard (Mack Ave.)
  • Pete Malenverni: Emerging Markets (Glass Beach)
  • John Scofield: Past Present (Impulse!)
  • Cyrus Chestnut: A Million Colors In Your Mind (HighNote)
  • Chuck Israels: Joyfull Noise – The Music of Horace Silver (Soul Patch)
  • Diana Krall: Wallflower (Verve)

Rod Richardson: “Radio Nothing”

  • MG: MG (Mute)
  • Niyaz: The Fourth Light (Six Degrees)
  • Clocked Out: Time Crystals (Innova)
  • Axel Krygier: Hombre de Piedra (Crammed)
  • Omar Souleyman: Bahdeni Nami (Monkeytown)
  • Loop 2.4.3: Time-Machine_music (Music Starts From Silence)
  • Tyondai Braxton: HIVE1 (Nonesuch)
  • Squarepusher: Damogen Furies (Warp)
  • Monsieur Doumani: Sikoses (Monsieur Doumani)
  • R. Weis: Parrot & Paperback (R. Weis)

Valerie Richardson: “Radio Something”

  • Bop English: Constant Bop (Downtown)
  • Brown Bird: Axis Mundi (Supply and Demand)
  • Dave Rawlings Machine: Nashville Obsolete (Acony)
  • Dengue Fever: The Deepest Lake (Tuk Tuk)
  • Ibeyi: Ibeyi (XL)
  • JD McPherson: Let the Good Times Roll (Rounder)
  • Jim White vs. The Packway Handle Band: Take It Like a Man (YepRoc)
  • Songhoy Blues: Music In Exile (Atlantic)
  • Various Artists: Remembering Mountains – Unheard Songs by Karen Dalton (Tompkins Square)
  • Zomba Prison Project: I Have No Everything Here (Six Degrees)

John Rivera: “Drive Time Salsa”

  • Various Artists: The 75 Greatest Fania Songs (Wagram)
  • Manny Oquendo y Su Conjunto Libre: Ritmo Sonido Estilo (Montuno)
  • Various Artists: Son Cubano NYC (Cuban Roots New York Spices 1972-82)(Honest Jon’s)
  • Gilberto Santa Rosa: A Dos Tiempos de Un Tiempo (Sony)
  • Orquesta Broadway: Pasaporte (Coco)
  • Various Artists: Salsa Fresca (Sony)
  • Eddie Palmieri: El Rey de las Blancas y las Negras (Globo)
  • Jimmy Bosch: Soneando Trombon: (Ryko Latino)
  • Tito Rodriguez: Returns to the Palladium – Live! (United Artists)
  • Tito Puente: Dance Mania Vol. 1 (RCA/BMG)

Justin Shay: “JMS Jams”

  • Palmbomen II: Palmbomen II (Beats In Space)
  • Helen: The Original Faces (Kranky)
  • White Poppy: Natural Phenomena (Not Not Fun)
  • Tops: Picture You Staring (Arbutus)
  • CFCF: The Colours of Life (1080p)
  • 2 8 1 4: Birth of a New Day (Dream Catalogue)
  • Erykah Badu: But You Caint Use My Phone (Motown/Control Freaq)
  • Luxury Elite: World Class (Crash Symbols)
  • Matthewdavid’s Mindflight: Ashram (Leaving)
  • Oneohtrix Point Never: Garden of Delete (Warp)

Bruce Swan: “Music My Mother Wouldn’t Like”

  • Danny Schmidt: Owls (Danny Schmidt)
  • Pete Kennedy: Heart of Gotham (Kennedys)
  • Paula Boggs Band: Carnival of Miracles (Boggs Media)
  • Joel Rafael: Balidista (Inside)
  • Judy Collins: Strangers Again (Wildflower)
  • October Project: The Book of Rounds (Sounds True)
  • Marshall Tucker Band: Live in The UK 1976 (Ramblin)

howard thompson: “PURE”

  • Kamasi Washington: The Epic (Brainfeeder)
  • Donnie Fritts: Oh My Goodness (Single Lock)
  • JD McPherson: Let The Good Times Roll (Rounder)
  • Whitey Morgan and the 78’s: Sonic Ranch (Whitey Morgan Music)
  • MX-80 Sound: So Funny (MX-80 Sound)
  • Kacey Musgraves: Pageant Material (Mercury Nashville)
  • Hillary Bratton: Tears On My Pillow, But The Rest Of The Bed’s OK (Hillary Bratton)
  • Alabama Shakes: Sound & Color (ATO)
  • D.A. Foster: The Real Thing (VizzTone)
  • Garbage: Garbage (20th Anniversary Edition) (Almo Sounds)

Mike Zito

  • John Moreland: High on Tulsa Heat (Old Omens)
  • Jason Isbell: Something More Than Free (Southeastern)
  • Eva Cassidy: Nightbird (Blix Street)
  • Hans Theessink & Terry Evans: True and Blue (Blue Groove)
  • Rhiannon Gidden: Tomorrow is My Turn (Nonesuch)
  • Dustbowl Revival: With a Lampshade On (Signature Sounds)
  • Amy Helm & The Handsome Strangers: Live at Levon Helm Studios (Woodstock Artists)
  • Fabrizio Poggi & Chicken Mambo: Spaghetti Juke Joint (Appaloosa)
  • Sister Sparrow & the Dirty Birds: The Weather Below (Party Fowl)
  • The Tallest Man on Earth: Dark Bird Is Home (Dead Oceans)