In no particular order, I've selected the favorite tracks from 2015's playlists for our fourteenth annual Choice Cuts end-of-year mix. Here are the final songs:
17. Feeling Ok -- Best Coast
As the Los Angeles Times noted, "Feeling Ok" (yes, the "k" is not capitalized here) seems on the surface to be celebrating life in California, a.k.a. the Best Coast. Yet singer Bethany Cosentino doesn't seem 100% convinced -- and that says a lot about the conflict and contradictions that come from living in our sunny SoCal world.
18. O Mother -- Son Little
2015 will be remembered for a lot of things, including how the #BlackLivesMatter movement helped finally once again shine a spotlight on the plight of young African American men and women. Son Little, who hails from Philadelphia, wrote "O Mother" while touring in Europe while headlines in the States were focused on the fates of Michael Brown and Eric Garner. “Racism and violence are global problems,” he told the New Yorker. “But our particular brand in America is what makes it hard for black men to breathe.”
19. 1998 (feat. Banks) -- Chet Faker
Producer Chet Faker originally released "1998" in 2014; this reworked version includes the equally soulful Banks picking up a verse as well. (Sorry, no relation to Taylor Swift's "1989.")
20. TV -- Colleen Green
I suppose this should be my anthem, right? "TV is my friend/ And it has been with me everyday/ From an early age/ TV is my friend/ And it has been always there for me/ In time of need"
21. Madre Tierra (Oye) -- Chayanne
Puerto Rican Latin pop star Chayanne has sold more than 30 million albums, yet I'm sure you probably haven't heard of him. I was introduced to "Madre Tierra (Oye)" because the Blogger Kid's 4th grade class at his Spanish immersion school sang the song in the spring. I figured it was appropriate to end this year's mix with the song... followed by a bonus track, below!
22. Madre Tierra (Oye) -- Franklin Spanish 4th Graders
