The Top 100 Local Songs of 2015.

Counting Down From 25 to 16.

The North Texas music scene has really come into its own the past 12 months. There hasn't been a year in recent memory when so many local artists appeared on the Billboard charts, played Saturday Night Live and other late night television programs, or otherwise appeared in the national spotlight. Here, as we've done in years past, we're highlighting what we think are the 100 best songs locally-tied of the year. The thing is, as far as this list is concerned, we're judging the quality of the songs irrespective of the popularity of the people putting them out — meaning, you're just as likely to have a song by a Grammy-winning act sandwiched between a couple of high school bands. Hey, it's just more interesting that way. Also keeping with tradition, we'll be rolling out the list in smaller, more digestible portions every weekday through the end of the month, complete with embedded streams of each. We think that gives each of these more than deserving acts a little more shine, and it also gives you a little more time to really check out each of these high quality tunes — including, presumably, a few that you may have missed upon their initial release.

Welp, ladies and gents, we've arrived at the point of our year-end local songs countdown where we're about to stop giving you so many songs to listen to all at once. Indeed, today's bunch is the last part of the list we're releasing in batch form.

See Also:
• The Top 100 Local Songs of 2015. // Counting Down From 100 to 81.
• The Top 100 Local Songs of 2015. // Counting Down From 80 to 61.
• The Top 100 Local Songs of 2015. // Counting Down From 60 to 41.
• The Top 100 Local Songs of 2015. // Counting Down From 40 to 26.
• The Top 100 Local Songs of 2014.

Yup, we're getting down to the nitty gritty here. And to ease you into tomorrow, where we'll begin devoting entire posts to a single song, we're offering up some pull quotes we've written previously about these next 10 songs — so as to maybe help further explain how they earned their spots so high on the list.

Hopefully it provides a little insight into why we think these songs are so great. Or, y'know, just hitting play on each of these links will do that same thing, too. — Cory Graves

25. Pyramids — “In Perfect Stillness, I've Only Found Sorrow”

“After a seven-year gap following its debut album, R. Loren's Pyramids outfit finally released a proper follow-up. In a glowing write-up on Pitchfork, writer Andy O'Connor notes what the band's been up to these past few years: Hydra Head, the label that released the band's debut, shut down, prompting a move to Profound Love; Loren, meanwhile, turned his attention to his Handmade Birds label and side projects White Moth and Sailors With Wax Wings. For O'Connor, the band's new A Northern Meadow LP was well worth the wait. He says it's the best thing the band's ever done. Or as he put it in his 8.0-scoring review: 'Here, they've developed a front-to-back sound that pushes their metal leanings to the forefront, while also upping the enigmatic glow of their debut. This consistency leads to their strongest effort yet.'” — CG

24. War Party — “Teenager On Drugs”

“Last year, Fort Worth's War Party broke through in a big way as a North Texas band to watch thanks to the release of its debut Tomorrow's A Drag LP — an album chock full of memorable hooks and riffage galore. Now, on the heels of releasing arguably our favorite music video of 2014, the band's gearing up to release two new cuts as part of a six-band box set of seven-inches being released Washington D.C.'s Windian Records. One of those new tracks, which the band passes our way as a stream, finds War Party significantly upping the doo-wop portion of its doo-wop punk aesthetic — and rather delightfully at that.” — Pete Freedman

23. Vincent Neil Emerson — “East Texas Blues”

“Vincent Neil Emerson wears his influences on his sleeve. It's a fact the Fort Worth-based songwriter doesn't shy away from, either. Rather than reinvent the wheel on his debut LP… Emerson steers hard towards the sounds of his honky-tonk heroes… All this isn't to say there's not plenty of Emerson in this debut batch of tunes, though. Over the course of the album's 10 tracks, Emerson drops plenty of wisdom, culled from life experiences beyond those of most 23-year-olds. After moving to Fort Worth a couple years ago for a girl, the East Texas native found himself in a tough spot when things didn't work out between the two. What followed was a stint of couch-surfing and a brief homeless spell before landing a job washing dishes, renting an apartment and working towards making music his full-time gig.” — CG

22. Shaun Martin — “One Big Party”

“Dallas music genius Shaun Martin brought his band 7 Summers to the stage. Borrowing the talents of Williams on keys, Robert 'Sput' Seawright on the drums and Mark Lettieri on guitar, 7 Summers was just killer. The musical talent on display was equal to, if not even better than, RC & The Gritz's own performance not 20 minutes beforehand. Playing around with songs like 'Purple Rain' and 'No Diggity,' each of the Grammy-winning players onstage was having a blast and jamming to the best of their ability. The brass section played its heart out and, when everyone in the band had their chance to solo, it was clear that these musicians were on another level of talent — a level that takes years of dedication and love for the craft of making music to attain.” — Brandon Mikeal

21. Telegraph Canyon — “Why Let it Go”

“In the six years since the release of Telegraph Canyon's stunning sophomore The Tide and The Current LP, band frontman Chris Johnson went through some shit. First came a divorce. Then came an extended stint living out of an RV, a vehicle otherwise meant to serve as Telegraph Canyon's touring van. Over this stretch, his was indeed something of a transient life: Before returning permanently to the region, where he found boarding in an upstairs loft space above the Fort Worth venue Shipping & Receiving, he bounced between North Texas and New Orleans with head-spinning regularity. All the while, though, he and his bandmates found time to write and record the material that would eventually make up the eleven songs of his six-piece's third LP, You From Before — even going so far as to release a few of them as singles… songs that hinted at a new, less intricate and more brooding direction for the band.” — PF

20. Felix — “Ain Afraid”

“Music comes across a journalist's desk in a variety of ways in this digital era. But the method with the best track record — far and away, in my experience — is still when active musicians from a scene come calling to rave about something new that they've just discovered from around the way.That's how, about a month back or so, a new entity named Felix entered into my sphere. First, I heard about this cat (lol) through acclaimed Dallas house DJ hero and Josey Records partner J.T. Donaldson, who shared a track to his Facebook page and proclaimed its profound waviness. Next, Booty Fade and Cannabinoid member Picnictyme hunted me down at Beauty Bar to rave about Felix's lo-fi funk appeal. Right around the same time, Dallas rap ego Lord Byron messaged me about this new Felix guy being hard. Then one of the dudes in Rache emailed me about these same songs, imploring that I check them out. If all of their collective praise didn't come off as so vehemently genuine, I'd have figured it a concerted press campaign. But even were it, no matter: I checked Felix out at the first suggestion and found myself way into it, too. I mean, what's not to like?” — PF

19. Neon Indian — “Annie”

“It's been four years since the release of Era Extraña, Alan Palomo's sophomore album as Neon Indian. And, mostly, the Denton ex-pat wants to talk about that gap in time when I ring him up for an interview to preview his upcoming VEGA INTL. Night School LP… To hear Palomo tell it, the time that lapsed between these albums represents an intentional, extended break. The music industry grind had started to wear on him, he admits, and his creativity started to wane as a result. And so Palomo recessed toward the things that drew him to music in the first place. Among other creative endeavors… he began focusing on DJing again — something he'd done regularly back in the days when he was still living in Denton and when his post-Ghosthustler projects of VEGA and Neon Indian were initially somewhat blurred together. While prepping for some high-profile gigs of that ilk and scouring for cumbia, Belearic beat and early house records to play during them, he rekindled his flame for music discovery.” — PF

18. The Warden — “Our Town”

“About a year or so ago, Ward Richmond got an itch to put his old band back together. Following the birth of his daughter, he experienced a flood of creative energy and soon had an album's worth of songs that he thought would surely become the next Boys Named Sue record. Alas, it wasn't to be. While the rest of the band was on board with the idea, ultimately John “Sue A” Pedigo's schedule was too busy with his other band — The O's — to carve out enough time to make it work. Rather than let the project die, though, Richmond pressed on under the new name of The Warden, recording the songs himself with the help of The Von Ehrics frontman Robert Jason Vandygriff, who produced the collection… Even Pedigo drops in long enough to contribute a verse in the album's standout track, 'Our Town,' an autobiographical take on the 20 years he and Richmond have spent playing in bands together. That song also features a verse from Vandygriff and backing vocals from Madison King. It's a horn-filled, country-tinged tune filled with East Dallas references and an undeniable chorus. — CG

17. St. Vincent — “Teenage Talk”

“The Dallas expat did pop up on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last night, though, where she performed 'Teenage Talk,' the song she premiered on an episode of Girls earlier this year. Fittingly, she was joined by a set of actual teenage backup dancers for the performance, which was as appropriately weird as you've probably come to hope for/expect from the artist born Annie Clark.” — CG

16. Erykah Badu — “Cel U Lar Device”

“Last night, Erykah Badu blew up the Internet with the late-night release of her cover of Drake's summer slow jam 'Hotline Bling.' Only, well, her 'Hotline Bling But U Cain't Use My Phone Mix' is as much of a reinterpretation and re-imagining of the track as it is a direct spinoff. Scrapping all of the production from 40 on Drake's version, Ms. Badu's version was co-written with Seven Benjamin — her son with Outkast's Andre 3000 — and also makes use of several of Badu's fellow Booker T. Washington High School alumni. Zach Witness produced the track, and new guitar and drum parts come courtesy of Raché's Benjamin Hixon and Ethan Worland, respectively.” — CG

100. Terrence Spectacle — “King's Cup”
99. Tunk — “Scarface The Rapper”
98. Lil Ronny MothaF — “Circle”
97. Denim Wonder — “I Love My City”
96. Sin Motivo — “Sintomas”
95. Kevin Aldridge — “Winner Leaves Town”
94. Sarah Jaffe — “Vision”
93. Coach Tev — “Omens (ft. Drugs, The Model Citizen & Rei Altru)”
92. Bummer Vacation — “Silver Hands”
91. Danny Cainco — “In My Bed”
90. Dove Hunter — “Dream Catcher”
89. GHETTODSKO — “It's Like That”
88. Toadies — “In the Belly of a Whale”
87. 87. Sad Cops — “Allen Road Park”
86. Essay EyE — “Day Da Day”
85. Astronautalis — “Sike”
84. The Azealia Project — “Chameleons”
83. Rhett Miller — “Most in the Summertime”
82. Botany — “Jotu”
81. Ghoulfive — “Materialistic”
80. VIDEO — “New Immortals”
79. No Touching — “Any Minute”
78. Damaged Good$ — “FCKBOY JIHAD PT. 1”
77. Jarvis Hodges — “Ball Out”
76. Hate Your Friends — “Whooda Thunk?”
75. Blessin' — “Eileen”
74. Birds of Night — “Asleep in the Pine”
73. Parquet Courts — “No, No, No!”
72. Bobby Sessions — “Black Neighborhood”
71. Larce Blake w/ Masego & BeMyFiasco — “SwingInLove”
70. Sudie — “Van Morrissey”
69. Buffalo Black — “High Noon”
68. Zane Williams — “A Song tor the Folks That Stole Our Van and Trailer”
67. Colton Carlyle — “Stalker”
66. Smoke Paint — “Chastity Belt”
65. Pinkish Black — “Brown Rainbow”
64. KoolQuise — “Cupid's Handgun”
63. Nick Jonas — “Jealous”
62. Skagg Philips — “Problems in Japan”
61. Brave Young Lion — “Girls”
60. Plain Jane Francis and Tony Q — “Silent Sounds”
59. Valise — “Charlie Gray”
58. Siamese — “Savage High”
57. Vandoliers — “Runaway Sons”
56. Claire Morales & Jena Pyle — “Strange”
55. Rhett Miller & Madison King — “Feel Like Fallin' in Love”
54. Nervous Curtains — “Devastator”
53. The Outfit, TX – “All Bills Paid” ft. Devy Stonez
52. These Machines Are Winning — “Kuru”
51. St. Vincent — “Bad Believer”
50. Snow that Product — “AyAyAy”
49. Kacey Musgraves — “Pageant Material”
48. Neon Indian — “Slumlord”
47. War Party — “Nolo Mori”
46. Conner Youngblood – “The Badlands”
45. Radioactivity — “Silent”
44. Birds of Night — “Dark”
43. A.Dd+ — “The Rhyme and The Rhythm”
42. Color TV — “Cadillac”
41. LUWUM — “The Band”
40. The Outfit, TX — “Wild Turkey”
39. Doug Burr — “White Night — Black Light”
38. Jake Paleschic — “When it is Played”
37. Party Static — “Mr Sexypants”
36. Pearl Earl — “Karaoke Superstar”
35. Lower Dens — “To Die in L.A.”
34. Selena Gomez — “Good For You”
33. Brack Cantrell — “Corpus Christi”
32. Demi Lovato — “Confident”
31. Herrick and Hooley — “Skeletor vs He-Man”
30. Dripping Wet — “She's Not Mine”
29. Maren Morris — “My Church”
28. Andy Pickett — “Don't Bro Me”
27. Post Malone — “Tear$”
26. Leon Bridges — “Smooth Sailin'”
25. Pyramids — “In Perfect Stillness, I've Only Found Sorrow”
24. War Party — “Teenager On Drugs”
23. Vincent Neil Emerson — “East Texas Blues”
22. Shaun Martin — “One Big Party”
21. Telegraph Canyon — “Why Let it Go”
20. Felix — “Ain Afraid”
19. Neon Indian — “Annie”
18. The Warden — “Our Town”
17. St. Vincent — “Teenage Talk”
16. Erykah Badu — “Cel U Lar Device”
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