Best Music of 2015: #9 Dawes - All Your Favorite Bands

This year was my 30th high school reunion. I didn't go, although it's hard to explain why. My good reason is we're trying to establish some of my son's hometown's holiday events—many of which happen Thanksgiving weekend—as family traditions.

The harder to explain reason is I just wasn't in the mood for it. Sometimes nostalgia can be a good thing, but not always. This album really explores those themes and, in fact, makes me feel as nostalgic as any mix of marginally dance-able mid-'80s tunes could.

For that reason, my beer pairing is going to be Finch's Hardcore Chimera. Produced in cans, this beer's label uses the same font—Metal Lord—that Iron Maiden has been using on their album covers for their entire existence. Dawes' sound bears absolutely no resemblance to Iron Maiden's, so this is a stretch, but it's the nostalgic connection I'm going for here.