Favorite Albums of 2014

Here is my list of favorite 2014 releases. Besides the number one spot, I can see all the albums having some wiggle room, especially towards the beginning. There were a few albums that I wanted to include that I haven't necessarily been able to listen to thoroughly, so the rankings are slightly skewed. I've worked on this for an oddly long time (3 weeks), combing through every year end list and reflecting back on what I bought. Each entry will be followed by CO, standing for check out, which is where I'll throw out songs to listen to from the album. I guess I'd call this part 1 of my 2014 list, this will be followed up by part 2 where I'll count down my favorite songs of 2014, albums that weren't 2014 releases but were unearthed, favorite vinyl reissues, and albums I'm looking forward to in 2015.


Albums that didn't make the list:
Sharon Van Etten/ Are We There- Too morose for me. Great reviews and all but lacking feeling, maybe?

Mac Demarco/ Salad Days- My knees are too erratic to listen to Mac's laidback music for more than a few minutes. Still very good, great if you substances.

Strand of Oaks/HEAL- Way better than I thought he was when I saw him open for Tallest Man on Earth. CO- Shut In

The War on Drugs/ Lost in the Dream- I don't know why I don't enjoy them. You can find this album on pretty much every end of the year list, I just can't get into it. CO- Red Eyes

First Aid Kit/ Stay Gold- I flip flop on First Aid Kit. Sometimes their harmonies remind me of locus and annoys me. I remember listening to their new album and enjoying it but right now I'm drawing a blank. CO- My Silver Lining

Phantogram/ Voices- I don't know why it is that I didn't attach myself to this release, given that I came into this year being a Phantogram fan. It's just lacking that cool factor. CO- Black Out Days, Celebrating Nothing

Bliss and Alice/ Poetry Volume One- The Shit Talker Tape- Just started listening to this album today and it's really impressing me so hopefully someone sees this and gives him a listen. Free on Bandcamp.

Generationals/ Alix- Sugary sweet album with songs that'll get stuck in your head forever. Somehow their songs feel impersonal to me, hence why they came up short. CO- Black Lemon, Gold Silver Diamond (really suggest these two songs)

Temples/ Sun Structures- Their sound feels very 1960's psychedelic, too strong of an influence for me personally. However, I can honestly see others gravitate towards it more. CO- Shelter Song, The Guesser

Tweedy/ Sukierae- Originally this was going to be at least in my 10-20 area of the list, but I went to import select songs into my iPod and found myself not remembering them too much. I think it works as a pleasant album to spin while working on homework or driving mindlessly. CO- Nobody Dies Anymore, Wait For Love

Perfume Genius*/ Too Bright- If I would've listened to this album in full in time, it definitely would've been on the list (if not in the top 10). Perfume Genius has always been a fearless artist and listening to some of the songs off the album makes it clear that that trend will continue. I star it because it has a serious case for mulligan when it comes to not being on the main list. CO- Queen, Fool

Vashti Bunyan/ Heartleap- I feel bad that this album hasn't gotten more praise, mainly because this is Vashti's last album and for so long she went unnoticed until she was rediscovered. I personally haven't listened to it yet (and honestly her music can be a bit too serene), just wanted to include her though.

Ty Segall/ $ingle$ 2- I'm including his singles collection instead of his album Manipulator because his singles kind've jump out at me more than his ode to glam. CO- Cherry Red, Hand Glams, Fucked up Motherfucker

Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra/ Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything- Definitely an interesting listen, very sprawling and epic. Not a super fun album but if you invest yourself, there could be something for you. CO- Take Away These Early Grave Blues

Wussy/ Attica- an album that was critically acclaimed with a lot of different influences. CO- Teenage Wasteland

Grouper- Depressing album but also beautiful. CO- Clearing

Isaiah Rashad/ Cilvia Demo- Swaggy up the ass. KO- Heavenly Father, Shot You Down

Protomartyr/ Under Color of Official Right- Another post-punk release that will impress if you are into that scene. CO- Maidenhead

cllipping./ CLPPNG- Work Work makes me want to snake my way to the floor and struggle to maintain my composure after I struggle to get back up. If you are a rap fan, check it out. CO- Work Work, Body & Blood

Sunny Day in Glasgow/ Sea When Absent- I tried a lot of times to get into it. It just isn't happening to a deeper level. I enjoy it, not to the extent I want to though. CO- MTLOV, Oh, I'm a Wrecker

White Lung/ Deep Fantasy- less than 30 minutes of neck breaking punk, so fulfilling though. CO- Face Down

32. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib- Pinata
Madlib is awesome and thats why I decided to give this album a listen. If I was able to listen to the whole thing from start to finish, it'd be higher. CO- Deeper, Thuggin'

31. Vance Joy- Dream Your Life Away
That Imagine Dragons kind've album that is super fun to listen to, but ultimately is radio fodder. CO- Riptide, Winds of Change, Mess is Mine

30. Foxygen- ...And Star Power
If it wasn't so overblown, overindulgent, and was edited down to a manageable number of songs, it would've been a great album. Not terrible by any stretch of the imagination, just too much of everything. CO- How Can You Really,

29. Sam Smith- In the Lonely Hour
Soulful voice, the whole album was actually pretty entertaining. CO- Money On My Mind, Stay With Me, I'm Not the Only One

28. Parquet Courts- Sunbathing Animal
Disoriented cool punk that I feel got lost in the shuffle, despite how critically acclaimed they are. CO- Black and White, Sunbathing Animal

27. Shakey Graves-And the War Came
It could be because I was disillusioned with the concert (was tired and worn out from an overly long opener) that made me have it on the lower end of the list (or maybe I feel bad for not going crazy at the concert, resulting in me ranking it higher than I would), but still worth a good listening too. CO- Dearly Departed, Hard Wired, Big Time Nashville Star

26. Owl John- Owl John
Frightened Rabbit was a big part of my 2013, I'm not sure why. This is the lead singer's solo effort and it comes off as a spare version of Frightened Rabbit (in the best way possible obviously). My biggest critique of it is that I wanted some of the songs to ramp it up a bit. CO- A Good Reason To Grow Old, Red Hand, Lose Angeles, Be Kind

25. Angel Olsen- Burn Your Fire For No Witness
I've been a big advocate for Angel Olsen from the very first time I heard Half Way Home. I remember texting my friend when the first single dropped and texting my friend to tell him that this album could be the best album of the year. My ranking could be short-changing it a little because it's a fine album, just not the top 10 one I thought it'd be. CO- Unfucktheworld, Iota

24. La Roux- Trouble In Paradise
2014's best album for white women with no butts to dance to while getting ready in the morning. CO- Sexotheque, Kiss and Not Tell

23. Vince Staples- Hell Can Wait
I just started listening to him and this isn't a full album, but, great album. CO- Blue Suede, Limos

22. Gerard Way- Hesitant Alien
Surprisingly good. It sounds nothing like My Chemical Romance. I was actually blown away by how different it is compared to what I thought it'd be. CO- No Shows, Zero Zero, Brother

21. Warpaint- Warpaint
Saw them live and had a boner for a straight hour. An album of hazy, smooth tunes. CO- Disco//Very, Love is to Die

20. Benjamin Booker- Benjamin Booker
Blues Punk? What a world! Seeing him next year and it's going to be nuts. CO- Violent Shiver, Have You Seen My Son, I Thought I Heard You Screaming

19. Future Islands- Singles
The songs all kind've blur together in my head, but the band doesn't sound like any one else right now and if I were to give it another listen, I'm sure it would've jumped up a few spots. CO- Seasons (Waiting On You), A Dream of You and Me,

18. Soko- I Thought I Was An Alien
Super sad album, earnest and tear-jerking. CO- We Might Be Dead By Tomorrow, For Marlon (this broke my heart), I thought I was an Alien, First Love Never Die

17. Ex Hex- Rips
Reminiscent of like 80's girl punk bands. Like Joan Jett with more street cred and teeth. CO- Hot and Cold, Waste of Time, Don't Wanna Lose

16. Bleachers- Strange Desire
Purely fun album. Not too dissimilar to fun., big anthemic tunes. CO- I Wanna Get Better, Shadow, Rollercoaster, I'm Ready to Move On/Wild Heart Reprise

15. Vincent James Mcmorrow- Post Tropical
Incredibly soulful album that I have to listen to in sequence to appreciate. It's a vinyl buy for sure. Go see him live, it won't be boring like you would think. CO- Look Out, Glacier, Cavalier

14. Leonard Cohen- Popular Problems
I feel like it's weird to include Leonard Cohen on a list of best albums of 2014, but it's a legitly impressive album. Be warned the song Slow is cringingly bad. Did I Ever Love You is my second favorite song of the year. CO- Did I Ever Love You, Born in Chains, Almost Like the Blues

13. Courtney Barnett- The Double Ep: A Sea of Split Peas
The first half of the album is amazing, the second is a little more raw. Technically came out last year, but it took forever for it to be released in the U.S. CO- Avant Gardener, History Eraser

12. Hozier- Hozier
Super catchy album, maybe hurt a little because I listened to it so much in my car when I was too lazy to switch CDs. CO- Take Me to Church, Jackie and Wilson, From Eden, Like Real People Do, Cherry Wine, Foreigner's God

12a. Jack White- Lazaretto
I forgot to place Jack White! I remember listening to the album and was like wow this a great album. I don't remember much from it right now though and I think thats why its not in the top 10. CO- Lazaretto, Entitlement, Just One Drink

11. Sylvan Esso- Sylvan esso
Super fun album that mixes folk with electronica. Honestly, I'm almost regretting putting this album as low as it is. I think it should be more like 8 or 9, I'm just having a hard time remembering a lot of the tracks. Looking back, it should probably be in top 10 lol. CO- Hey Mami, H.S.K.T, Coffee

10. Ought- More Than Any Other Day
Ought is my King Krule pick of 2014, an album that seemingly comes out of nowhere and sounds like nothing else that is happening at the moment. They sound like a post-punk version of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. The album takes its time to build to something with its herky-jerky instrumentation, their metallic clean sound break out into Tim Beeler's howling restrained vocals. I love this album. The line "tell me what the weathers like so I don't have to go outside" gets stuck in my head so often that I say it even when I'm already outside. I'm not a big synth/electronic guy and it's great to see bands still finding ways to keep the classic setup interesting. CO- Habit, The Weather Song, Clarity!


9. Run the Jewels- Run the Jewels 2
What can I say that hasn't been said on pretty much every best of 2014 lists? Best rap album of the year. God listening to this album makes me feel like the biggest bad ass in the entire world. I probably would've ranked it higher if I would've been able to listen to the album in order and not shuffled on Spotify (getting it from the library soonish). CO- Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck), Lie, cheat, steal, Blockbuster Night Pt 1 &2, Oh My Darling Don't Cry


8. Cloud Nothings- Here and Nowhere Else
A punk band that reminds me more of The Descendents than, say, the Sex Pistols. A punk band that doesn't sound like a few guys that want to knock shit around, they sound like a punk band that went to college (boom, a milo goes to college reference). It's music that is heavy on hooks but with a viciousness of pent up uptightness. I think this is my Japandroids record of 2014, an album that you put on when you want to thrash around your room and aggressively mouth fuck the words. CO- I'm Not Part of Me, Psychic Trauma, Now Hear In

7. J.E Sunde- Shapes That Kiss the Lips of God
He is possibly the nicest guy I've ever seen perform. I've seen him twice and both times he's had this humble confidence to him. The first time seeing him was when he opened up for Laura Marling, and he killed it. I loved his performance way more than hers. The second time, he had the opening slot for Phox. During this second time, everybody was just terribly rude to him. Everybody was talking and not giving him any attention and I hope everyone felt like shit when Phox came out later and pointed that out. His voice is very different from a lot of what is out there today, and his lyricism is unmatched on the "local scene." His Howl reference was just a cherry. A mix of eccentric, smartly written songs, definitely a great album. CO- Mother Fury, Mother Cry, Easy Kid, A Blinding Flash of Light, I'm Gonna Disappoint You. Check it alllll out.

6. Orwells- Disgraceland
This was an album that I've been waiting for, for this year. Just a slab-of-dumb-in- your-face-belligerent kids throwing their guitars and yelling about anything and everything. Live, these guys (especially the singer) just ooze that "I don't give a fuck" dangerous attitude that makes for an amazing atmosphere. My Fidlar of 2014. Originally, they gained a lot of attention for their David Letterman performance that called for an encore and parody by Paul Shaffer. The songs range from drinking, murderers, sex, and America damnation. Probably not super critically acclaimed in the wine drinking circles, nonetheless, the music is a shot of adrenaline. CO- Who Needs You, Southern Comfort, North Ave., Let it Burn, Always n Forever


5. Spoon- They Want My Soul
This album is funky as shit. I roll my shoulders so much when listening, it's almost like I have rhythm. I'm not a big Spoon guy. They have lots of build up to their songs and just drop off when they get to the chorus, leaving us without that big ejaculation. Then I gave this album a shot and fell in love. These are some of the best hooks I've heard all year and I dare you not to get Do You stuck in your head. Top to bottom this is an album made by guys that have been around for a while and not only know what they're doing, but a band that can tweak their sound just enough to keep old fans and draw in new ones. Now I regret not seeing them in Milwaukee, especially since they covered a Jay Reatard song! To sum this album up: swag for days and rolling for the pullin'. CO- Rent I pay, Inside Out, Do You, New York Kiss


4. Conor Oberst- Upside Down Mountain
It's Conor. Do I have to say more? I will. I was able to see him play live in Milwaukee and he was amazing. He was as close to being what a rock star looks like in concert, if that makes sense. I keep going back and forth about how much I really like the album. Sometimes I'm never in the mood to listen to it, being away from it for a while clouds my enjoyment of it, I think. The memory of the album becomes hazy, then I give it another listen and become enthralled in it again. It feels very major label, not a bad thing. Great hooks, Conor said in an interview that he isn't the best singer in the world, but once he gets down a hook, he can turn out a great song, and he does that for the duration of the album. He more than adds to the Conor Oberst body of work. If you're not sold, listen to You Are Your Mother's Child and see where you're at after. CO- Hundreds of Ways, Double Life, Kick, You Are Your Mother's Child, Governor's Ball, Zigzagging Toward the Light

3a. Against Me!- Transgender Dysphoria Blues
I forgot to include this album! I'm so stupid! I didn't want to renumber so I'm making this 3a because it would've been number 4. Against me is a punk band that really works well after "selling out." Their sound is really meant for bigger production. Thomas Gabel is the first major musical figure to come out as transgender and the album is pretty much him coming out as one. Very powerful statement with really strong songs to back it up. I've been listening to Against Me for about six years, outside of New Wave, this is their best album. CO- FUCKMYLIFE666, Black Me Out, Unconditional Love


3. St.Vincent- St.Vincent
It took a while for this album to grow on me. At first, I was put off by the almost impersonal futurism she's presenting. If you see her stage show, it's pretty choreographed and thats how the album feels, an interesting view but I don't know about seeing it again. With that said, I always drive with my iPod on shuffle and whenever a song from this album came on, I had to listen. I wanted to listen. She's the pop artist Lady Gaga wish she was, she's weird and serious and willing to take risks but it doesn't come off hokey or pretentious. She did an album with David Byrne that had a lot of his odd swagger in it, and you can definitely feel the imprint on this album. It's oddly danceable at its highs and sinister at its lows. I feel like St. Vincent is an artist that constantly has to win me over, I listened to all her albums on surface level and couldn't get into them, but on that second and third listen where I really lean into it, she wins me over. She consistently tops herself, from guitarist in Polyphonic Spree, to the slow burn intensity of Marry Me, to the dark disney of Actor, to brushing shoulders with a legend in Love This Giant, to the sexiness of Strange Mercy, St. Vincent is always moving somewhere else and knocking it out of the park. In the indie landscape, she's a leader for sure. CO- Birth In Reverse, Digital Witness, Bring Me Your Loves, Rattlesnake


2. Hold Steady- Teeth Dreams
I understand that the Hold Steady has changed. They hired the producer who've worked on albums by Rush and Evanescence, obviously trying to sound more radio ready and less contingent on knowing the characters of the previous Hold Steady albums. They've always been a band that had prided themselves on this working class aesthetic of misspent youth, not caring about making their sound anything more than they wanted it to. They wanted to eliminate the pretentiousness of the indie scene. There was talk singing, guitar solos, Springsteen keyboards, familiar characters with their own problems and issues to work out, clever and masterful lyrics, and tales of surviving the abstract pointlessness by drinking cheap beers when you're young and finding your place later in life through struggle. This new album, however, has been getting a lot of flack for being a bit more stream-lined and "hard-rockin'." To be honest, though, I don't mind it. I'm a huge Hold Steady fan and they've influenced me a lot in my music sensibilities and how I write, they could've put out anything and have me love it. It's a collection of very tight songs, with my only complaint being how they obscured Craig Finn's voice, whereas their earlier albums had it first and foremost. It's not going to change lives like their first four albums did, but if you take off your snobby hat for a second, its an album thats definitely worth a listen. Spinners is my number one song of 2014. CO- Spinners, I Hope This Whole Thing Didn't Frighten You, Oaks, The Only Thing

1.  Myriam Gendron- Not So Deep as a Well
Absolutely beautiful album. Very simple album. My summer was a mix of momentary excitement, peaceful contemplation, and overbearing sadness, and this was the soundtrack for all of it. This was one of Acme Records in Milwaukee's albums of the day so on a whim I decided to pick it up. I've never been more happy with any decision ever. I love this album and is one of those albums that I'll always keep with me. CO- Threnody, Solace, Recurrence, The False Friends