Here are some of my favorites.
Belle and Sebastian, Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance
I liked Belle and Sebastian—I even saw his strange non-film-y film, God Help the Girl, when it premiered at Sundance—but I don't think I loved Stuart Murdoch until this album. The opening track alone is this mind-blowing exegesis of life and death and mental illness and BAH I CAN'T GET ENOUGH
Alabama Shakes, Sound and Color
Brittany Howard is cooler than you.
The Decemberists, What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World
This is one of the least pretentious albums by this band, and that's a good thing. I think it's one of their most listenable.
Songs
Death Cab for Cutie, Ghosts of Beverly Drive
Oh Ben Gibbard, how do you still get me after all these years? The album wasn't their best, but this song is my favorite of the year. Post-divorce songs are always !!!.
Their live show at Pioneer Park this summer also did not disappoint. I probably cried.Oh I need not be flattered that you've never been here before
So there's no need to mention that you've no firsts anymore
But if you let me be your skyline I'll let you be the wave
That reduces me to rubble that looked safe from far away
Ryan Adams, Blank Space
I'm not up to speed on my early 2000s alt country legends. Never had heard of this dude before he covered the entirety of T Swift's 1989. Can we all stop the snark and admit that Swift is just an amazing songwriter? Cool, let's. (And yes, it has "Oh My God" in the lyrics. #shock)
Walk the Moon, Portugal
This is from late last year, but it's early October, so I'm counting it. So this sounds like an auto-tuned version of the neo boy bands I was into in high school. But it just works for me. Despite the "long list of ex lovers" of Swift/Adams, the relationship this song makes me think the most of is my platonic best friend who served his mission in Portugal (ten years ago as it happens). We ended up starting and graduating from BYU at the same time, as well as leaving the LDS Church at the same time. He's one of the very few people I can be vulnerable with.
Albums I feel like I missed out on: Leon Bridges (WHY DID MY BROTHER BUY IT IN iTUNES ONLY), St. Vincent, Lana del Rey (#shotsfired), a ton of other good stuff, I'm sure.
What made your list? Any disappointments?