The triumphant return of Sleater-Kinney caught a lot of attention, and a lot of (well-earned) slots on Album of the Year lists, but there've been a load of other really great releases this year. We're not writing a thinkpiece on the state of gender equality in the music industry here (which isn't to say no one else should), just highlighting some of the best music that's come out this year. Some of these bands' offerings have been placing well on AotY lists too, but others have flown under the radar.

So Young - 'Try Me'

London, Ontario's So Young  got in ahead of the pack with this self-released album in January. Short and to the point at only eight songs, 'Try Me' got the year off to a great start with melodic indie rock songs about growing up, starting bands and facing sexism in a small town.

Sleater-Kinney - 'No Cities To Love'

What is there left to say about this album? After ten years away, with solo projects (and TV shows) that were great, but only made us miss them more, Sleater-Kinney returned with an album as good as anything they'd released before. There was no rehashing either - 'No Cities To Love' is as much a progression from its predecessor as any of their albums. Also, A New Wave has the kids from Bob's Burgers in its video, which it's hard not to be charmed by.

Bully - 'Feels Like'

All of which isn't to say that a more '90s indie band sound can't still sound fresh and alive in 2015, as Bully  prove on their debut album, 'Feels Like'.

Kate's Party - 'My Other Girlfriend'

Ireland's homegrown talent have been no slouches either this year, as we wrote the other day (the only reason Bitch Falcon aren't on this list). One we forgot to mention then is this great EP by Kate's Party a band who are an integral part of Dublin's punk scene, but with plenty of '90s indie influences themselves.

Hop Along - 'Painted Shut'

Originating as the frontwoman's solo project, Frances' Quinlan's powerful voice is still the main attraction of Hop Along, but the backing of a full band on 'Painted Shut' (and its predecessor, 'Get Disowned') adds a lot.

Speedy Ortiz - 'Foil Deer'

Another release that's no stranger to 2015's end of year lists, Speedy Ortiz's complex melodies on 'Foil Dear' sit comfortably next to Sleater-Kinney's while still keeping to a sound all their own.

Screaming Females - 'Rose Mountain'

Marissa Paternoster has another immense voice - we could probably have put together a slightly smaller list with just those - but she's also an outstanding guitarist, backed by a capable band. This cover of Taylor Swift's Shake It Off that they recorded for The AV Club's Undercover series is a fair bit more stripped back than the songs on 'Rose Mountain', but it gives you an idea of what to expect. And really, who could resist? Certainly not the AV Club's readers, who voted it the best of this year's covers.

Downtown Boys - 'Full Communism'

Breaking out from a relatively similar sound to most of the other entries on this list is Providence, Rhode Island's Downtown Boys. If bilingual political saxophone-led dance punk doesn't sound like something you'd want to check out, we're not sure what would.

G.L.O.S.S. - Girls Living Outside Society's Shit

Even further along the spectrum than Downtown Boys is Olympia, Washington's G.L.O.S.S. Rarely does a demo make as many waves as G.L.O.S.S.'s (to the point that they seem to have quietly upgraded it to an EP on Spotify, though they still call it a demo on Bandcamp), but a band making abrasive, confrontational hardcore by and for transgender people was clearly something the world was waiting for. It helps that the demo is pretty well-recorded, and the songs are great.

Niagara Balls - 'Deck the Balls'

Niagara Balls are a London-founded, now scattered to the four winds band who specialise in holiday-themed parody songs. 'Deck the Balls', a mini-EP/double a-side that dropped on Christmas Eve, continues a tradition of Christmas EPs that began with last year's 'Jingle Balls' and a tradition of just barely getting releases out on time since the band started, which includes this year's earlier Halloween EP, 'Balls of the Dead 3D!'. While both were good, it's hard to argue with closing this list out with something seasonally appropriate.