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January 2016

Dear POOPster:

2015 just might become known as the year to beat when it comes to unbridled stupidity in America. But more alarming than that, I fear that with good ol’ American gumption, the coming election year will no doubt leave it behind in the dust. Recently I learned that the oft paraphrased H.L. Mencken quote, the one about how no one ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people, actually had an even more apropos follow-up sentence: “Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.” But while the American political system as we know it is currently circling the drain, we the POmpous and OPinionated have responded in the best manner we know. While some of those who would be President prattle on in their assholier-than-thou vitriol, 25 POOPsters have found 10 or 25 or so causes for which to campaign, with civil discourse and free of all squirmishes (thanks, Sarah P!). Feel the POOP.

Anyway, onto the nuts and bolts. As usual, I’ve used our time-honored tabulation system, the customary What-The-Hell’s-He-Talking-About methodology. One more time, I’ve given 2 points to each pompoid’s Top 10 choices and 1 point to each title beyond a Top 10 or in the variously designated ‘honorable mention’ categories (up to 25 titles in all; more than 25 means half-points). NEW this year: because there appears to be no rhyme or reason to how people list reissues, each was awarded 1½ points. And before you ask, because I felt like it.

Some curiosities of note:

• No one has EVER dominated these pages so utterly and appeared on more than half of the lists submitted until this year.
• A jazz album has never ranked higher than #5 until this year.
• And this just in: David Bowie’s Blackstar has just been declared the winner of the 2016 POOPlist.

And now without further DISCussion, the 2015 POOP answer key:

Buy New or Used via Amazon Rent via iTunes [?]] 1. Courtney Barnett Sometimes I Sit and Think, And Sometimes I Just Sit 22 points (appearing on 13 out of 25 lists)	Buy New or Used via Amazon Rent via iTunes [?] 2. Kamasi Washington The Epic 15½ points (appearing on 8 out of 25 lists)	Buy New or Used via Amazon Rent via iTunes [?] 3. Kurt Vile b'lieve i'm goin' down 14 points (appearing on 8 out of 25 lists)
Buy New or Used via Amazon Rent via iTunes [?] 4. Bob Dylan The Best Of The Cutting Edge 1965 - 1966: The Bootleg Series Vol. 12 13½ points (appearing on 9 out of 25 lists)	Buy New or Used via Amazon Rent via iTunes [?] 5. Father John Misty I Love You, Honeybear 13½ points (appearing on 7 out of 25 lists)	Buy New or Used via Amazon Rent via iTunes [?] 6. Wilco Star Wars 13 points (appearing on 7 out of 25 lists)
Buy New or Used via Amazon Rent via iTunes [?] 7. Sleater-Kinney No Cities to Love 11 points (appearing on 8 out of 25 lists)	Buy New or Used via Amazon Rent via iTunes [?] 8. Kendrick Lamar To Pimp A Butterfly 10½ points (appearing on 6 out of 25 lists)	Buy New or Used via Amazon Rent via iTunes [?] 9= Ryan Adams - 1989 10 points (appearing on 5 out of 25 lists)
	Buy New or Used via Amazon Rent via iTunes [?] 9= Sufjan Stevens Carrie & Lowell 10 points (appearing on 5 out of 25 lists)

1. COURTNEY BARNETT – Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit 22 points (appearing on 13 out of 25 lists!)
2. KAMASI WASHINGTON – The Epic 15½ (8)
3. KURT VILE – b’lieve i’m goin’ down 14 (8)
4. BOB DYLAN – The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Vol. 12 13½ (9)
5. FATHER JOHN MISTY – I Love You, Honeybear 13½ (7)
6. WILCO – Star Wars 13 (7)
7. SLEATER-KINNEY – No Cities To Love 11 (8)
8. KENDRICK LAMAR – To Pimp a Butterfly 10½ (6)
9= RYAN ADAMS – 1989 10 (5)
9= SUFJAN STEVENS – Carrie & Lowell 10 (5)

The usual genuflecting to Mark Zip and the magnificently appointed online POOP at www.pooplist.net. Check out links to most of the albums listed on these pages and explore POOPs past going back to 2001.

                        Mark Rosen
                        a.k.a Vladimir Poopin’

Contributors:
Richard Allen – Sayville, NY ||| Ken Beck – Cranford, NJ ||| Duncan Clark – Milton, NY ||| Don Cohen – New York, NY ||| Scott Dell’amore – Poughkeepsie, NY ||| Eric Fine – New York, NY ||| Jim Finnigan – New Hamburg, NY ||| John Greak – Gardiner, NY ||| Ron Hart – Ringwood, NJ ||| Mike Jurkovic – Wallkill, NY ||| Steve Kaplan – Studio City, CA ||| Patrick Kennedy – Brooklyn, NY ||| Bernadette Lange – Kingston, NY ||| John Lefsky – New Paltz, NY ||| Andrew Martin – Eddyville, NY ||| Jim Meyers – Kingston, NY ||| Mike Miller – Cuba, NY ||| Matt Nerney – Grafton, NH ||| Mark Rosen – New Paltz, NY ||| Jeff Schwartz – Green Brook, NJ ||| Andrew Stewart – Rhinebeck, NY ||| John Stewart – Bloomington, NY ||| Bill Still – Kingston, NY ||| Tom Whalen – New Paltz, NY ||| Mark Zip – Woodstock, NY