Year in Rock 2015: Recording of the Year Nominees (5 Categories)

Rather than space these out and repost most of the videos from my Song of the Year nominees, I thought it best to condense the following five categories into one post and take it on faith that you know how to find a song without the video being embedded directly next to it.

Also, a reminder that next Monday (December 14) is the day I make my Album of the Year nominees, so be sure to come back then and find out which ten records made it to my final proving grounds in 2015.

Without further ado, presenting nominees in the following categories:

NEW ARTIST RECORDING OF THE YEAR

As I approach my forties, I'm growing more and more out of touch with current trends. That said, it was just a little bit easier to spot the trend this year because I already lived through the '90s. Nostalgia, it seems, is the wave of rock's future.

New Artist Recording of the Year nominees are:
COURTNEY BARNETT: Pedestrian at Best
BULLY: Trying
HIGHLY SUSPECT: Lydia
MEG MYERS: I Really Want You to Hate Me
WOLF ALICE: Moaning Lisa Smile

SOLO ARTIST RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Whether former/current leaders of bands or fearless artists breaking ground on their own, to put your given name on an album cover is to lay your soul bare for the world to experience. The five artists here all did their part to put their personal stamp on not just records, but also our hearts and minds.

Solo Artist Recording of the Year nominees are:
COURTNEY BARNETT: Pedestrian at Best
CHRIS CORNELL: Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart
MATTHEW GOOD: All You Sons and Daughters
MEG MYERS: I Really Want You to Hate Me
JOEL PLASKETT: Credits Roll

COMEBACK RECORDING OF THE YEAR

A long absence from releasing a new record doesn't necessarily mean there's been nothing to say over the years. In the case of the following, the time off granted the chance to fine tune their returns for maximum impact, be it in the name of crafting nostalgia or exploring new avenues of sonic possibility.

Comeback Recording of the Year nominees are:
BLUR: Lonesome Street
FAILURE: Counterfeit Sky
NEW ORDER: Restless
REFUSED: Elektra
SLEATER-KINNEY: A New Wave

CANADIAN RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Making a go of it in Canada provides unique challenges; the vast land mass means lots of hard miles, and regional success can't always translate to nationwide acceptance. These artists never wavered from their goals, and their efforts have created legacies that resonate from coast to coast.

Canadian Recording of the Year nominees are:
CANCER BATS: True Zero
FINGER ELEVEN: Gods of Speed
MATTHEW GOOD: All You Sons and Daughters
I MOTHER EARTH: Blossom
JOEL PLASKETT: Credits Roll

HEAVY RECORDING OF THE YEAR

Laymen tend to paint heavy music with a pretty broad brush, choosing to generalize it as angry, pessimistic and Satanic. These nominees certainly have those bases covered, but they also bring melody, bombast and very real emotion to their craft.

Heavy Recording of the Year nominees are:
BARONESS: Chlorine & Wine
CANCER BATS: True Zero
FRANK CARTER & THE RATTLESNAKES: Juggernaut
GHOST: Cirice
LAMB OF GOD: Overlord

Find out who won on December 21st!

Year in Rock 2025

Alright, I've got some explaining to do. By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but: a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

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IN REVIEW: Rancid - "Trouble Maker"

As far as punk rock goes, it's hard to name a hotter hot streak than the trio of records Rancid cranked out between 1995 and 2000; the star making ...And Out Come the Wolves , the far-reaching Life Won't Wait and their balls-to-the-wall second self-titled album solidly positioned Rancid as leaders of the second generation of punk. It also preceded a period of slow progression, as Rancid would take eleven years to release their next three records. By the time ...Honor Is All We Know came in 2014, many fans (myself included) had to wonder whether or not this was the end of the road. Such concerns are handily dealt with on the closing track of the standard edition of their ninth record, the positively punishing This Is Not the End . Well, okay then, that's sorted. Now, what of this new record? What do we make of the use of their original logo on the cover, a logo that hasn't graced a Rancid record in 25 years? Is this a throwback to the band's heyday, a new begin...

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