John Austin Arender
It's hard to believe that 2015 is over half way over. There's been a ton of change not only in my life, but also in the world that I live in. One thing has remained the same though. That's the release of new music. In this list you'll find my top 5 most listened to albums that have been released this year. 2015 has been a great year for music so far. This is just a small sample of the great tunes that have been released so far.
This album has beceome one of my most favorite albums in a long, long time. Even though this album is self-titled, The Helio Sequence has been making music for a long time now. The Portland based duo comprised of Brandon Summers and Benjamin Weikel debuted as The Helio Sequence in 1999. They've released five other full length albums in addition to The Helio Sequence. Released on May 12, The Helio Sequence has been played almost non-stop. Give it a listen.
Released on June 16th, this album quickly garnered my attention. The Fool is Ryn Weaver's debut album. Born in Argentina, Weaver was raised in Los Angeles. She later moved to New York to pursue an acting career but relocated back to California to chase a music career. Early in 2014, she released "Octahate" as a single. This song featured big time names like Charlie XCX and Passion Pit. These connections led her to immediate success on Soundcloud which led her to begin production on a full length.
Seryn has been one of my favorite bands for a long time now. I've seen them live 4 different times. They one of those bands that put their heart and soul into the music that they are performing. Released on February 10, Shadow Shows blends a mixture of indie rock and folk together for a beautiful masterpiece. I was able to get my hands on this album a week before it was a released at a phenomenal show in Hattiesburg. I have played it almost weekly since then.
Part of a four part EP series, similar to his Seasons EPs, Jon Foreman released Sunlight on May 26th. This six song EP is jam packed full of potent songs full of breath and life. Jon Foreman, better know as the front man for the rock band Switchfoot, has always released solo material in addition to Switchfoot's projects. Usually, this releases have a much more acoustic approach. This EP is no different. This is a great album to listen to whenever you need a chill break from life.
This 17 track live album comes from one of my all time favorite bands NEEDTOBREATHE. I've had the wonderful priviledge of seeing NEEDTOBREATHE perform live three times. They put on one of the best live shows that I have ever seen. Their albums don't do this talented band justice. However, Live From the Woods is a great example of how NEEDTOBREATHE sounds live. I was absolutely thrilled when this album was released. It brings back great memories from their shows.
