Streaming music services might be killing the album, but the mixtape has never been healthier. Crafting the perfect mixtape is an art form (phony Spotify-curated playlists aside), one that, much like an album, requires careful consideration. Moreover, making playlists is fun, which is why we’re going to start doing it each month. These things won’t be perfect (and you’ll need Spotify to play them), but we’re going to try to make them as cohesive a listening experience as we can while covering the far-ranging spectrum music released the month prior.
May was a pretty damn exceptional month, with Jamie xx dropping maybe the Song of the Summer, Destroyer destroying eardrums with horns, and Hop Along, Shamir, and Mikal Cronin delivering on the promise of their singles with three of the best albums of the year so far. There will, of course, be some glaring omissions, some due to Spotify’s limitations and others that just didn’t feel right within the playlist. Miguel, Neon Indian, and Mac DeMarco all dropped fire-hot singles last month, while Holly Herndon, David Kauffman/Eric Caboor, and Elvis Depressedly put out some of 2015’s best records. Oh, and there were some high-profile Oklahoma releases as well (we’re looking at you, Other Lives). Regardless of its shortcomings, this playlist, by and large, covers a good chunk of what we think was the best music released in May. Let it be your guiding light through June and beyond.
