Year-End Critics' Polls 2014

and that Parquet Courts song is the draggiest song on a draggy disappointing follow up. def not #5 material

Thank you Dog Latin, I'm glad I'm not the only one. I felt that stood out as the worst, most insufferable song on the album! WTF! I didn't mind DeRo's list, but every now and then he lets loose a doozy that's so, so wrong:

an epic centerpiece (the 7:13 “Instant Disassembly”) that’s as much of a tour-de-force mission statement as “Marquee Moon.”

I never want to hear the word "mamacita" in a song ever again. Another album on his list by The Gotobeds accomplishes everything that I'm missing from that Parquet Courts album -- it's sloppier but catchier and actually rocks. Also see Together Pangea - Badillac.

DeRo's Sound Opinions partner Greg Kot's list:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/kot/ct-kelis-food-benjamin-booker-protomartyr-mary-j-blige-best-pop-albums-20141202-column.html

1. Kelis, Food
2. Protomartyr, Under Color of Official Right
3. Benjamin Booker, Benjamin Booker
4. Mary J. Blige, The London Sessions
5. Wussy, Attica!
6. Run the Jewels, Run the Jewels 2
7. FKA Twigs, LP1
8. Lydia Loveless, Somewhere Else
9. The Preatures, Blue Planet Eyes
10. Warpaint, Warpaint
11. Bob Mould, "Beauty & Ruin" (Merge)
12. Goat, "Commune" (Sub Pop)
13. Courtney Barnett, "The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas" (Mom & Pop Music)
14. Tom Brosseau, "Grass Punks" (Crossbill)
15. Parquet Courts, "Sunbathing Animal" (What's Your Rupture?)
16. Spoon, "They Want My Soul" (Lorna Vista)
17. Lucinda Williams, "Where the Spirit Meets the Bone" (Thirty Tigers)
18. Sturgill Simpson, "Metamodern Sounds in Country Music" (High Top/Thirty Tigers)
19. Twin Peaks, "Wild Onion" (Grand Jury)
20. Angel Olsen, "Burn Your Fire for No Witness" (Jagjaguwar)

They've held down those writing gigs for a long, long time, but Sound Opinions is the best thing they've done. Too bad I always forget to listen, though you can stream their shows anytime. http://www.soundopinions.org/episodes

Dazed - The top 20 albums of 2014
http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/22834/1/the-top-20-albums-of-2014

20 Grouper - Ruins
19 Todd Terje - It's Album Time
18 Ramona Lisa - Arcadia
17 Iceage - Plowing Into The Field Of Love
16 Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste
15 The War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream
14 Run The Jewels Run The Jewels 2
13 Mac DeMarco - Salad Days
12 ScHoolboy Q - Oxymoron
11 Jessie Ware - Tough Love
10 Angel Olson - Burn Your Fire For No Witness
9 Tinashe - Aquarius
8 Perfume Genius - Too Bright
7 Lykke Li - I Never Learn
6 Aphex Twin - Syro
5 Sia - 1000 Forms Of Fear
4 Fatima Al Qadiri - Asiatisch
3 Lana Del Rey - Ultraviolence
2 Arca - Xen
1 FKA Twigs - LP1

The 405 - The 30 Best Albums of 2014
http://www.thefourohfive.com/news/article/the-30-best-albums-of-2014-141

30. Grouper - Ruins
29. Future Islands - Singles
28. Ought - More Than Any Other Day
27. Homeboy Sandman - Hallways
26. Pharmakon - Bestial Burden
25. Hail Mary Mallon - Bestiary
24. Alex G - DSU
23. Gazelle Twin - UNFLESH
22. Mark McGuire - Along The Way
21. Kiasmos - Kiasmos

20. Liars - Mess
19. The Bug - Angels and Devils
18. Todd Terje - It's Album Time
17. YG - My Krazy Life
16. Thug Entrancer - Death After Life
15. Perfume Genius - Too Bright
14. Run The Jewels - RTJ2
13. Caribou - Our Love
12. Grumbling Fur - Preternaturals
11. Julie Byrne - Rooms With Walls and Windows

10. St. Vincent - St. Vincent
9. Clipping. - CLPPNG
8. East India Youth - Total Strife Forever
7. Andy Stott - Faith In Strangers
6. Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
5. Wild Beasts - Present Tense
4. Adult Jazz - Gist Is
3. Taylor McFerrin - Early Riser
2. Flying Lotus - You're Dead
1. FKA Twigs - LP1

The Wire: Releases of the Year 1-50

1 Aphex Twin - Syro
2 Richard Dawson - Nothing Important
3 Swans - To Be Kind
4 Scott Walker and Sunn O))) - Soused
5 Actress - Ghettoville
6 Sleaford Mods - Divide and Exit
7 Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty
8 Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 2
9 Kasai Allstars - Beware The Fetish
10 Fatima Al Qadiri - Asiatisch

11 Earth - Primitive and Deadly
12 Steve Gunn - Way out Weather
13 Grouper - Ruins
14 Valerio Tricoli - Miseri Lares
15 Eliane Radigue - Naldjorlak I II II
16 Marc Baron - Hidden Tapes
17 Kevin Drumm & Jason Lescalleet - The Abyss
18 Rodhri Davies - An Air Swept Clean Of All Distance
19 Michael Pisaro - Continuum Unbound
20 AMM - Place sub. v.

21 Thumbscrew - Thumbscrew
22 Puce Mary - Persona
23 Cooly G. - Wait 'Til Night
24 Skogen - Despairs Had Governed Me Too Long
25 Carla Bozulich - Boy
26 Dean Blunt - Black Metal
27 Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Pinata
28 Annea Lockwood - Ground Of Being
29 Wadada Leo Smith - The Great Lakes Suite
30 Call Super - Suzi Ecto

31 Steve Gunn & Mike Gangloff - Melodies For A Savage Fix
32 Jenny Hval & Susanna - Meshes Of Voice
33 Matthew Shipp - I've Been To Many Places
34 Holly Herndon - Chorus
35 Laurence crane - Chamber Works 1992-2007
36 Shackleton - Freezing Opening Thawing
37 Klaus Lang - SAIS
38 Bitchin' Bajas - Bitchin' Bajas
39 Laetitia Sadler - Something Shines
40 drcarlsonalbion - Gold

41 Helm - The Hollow Organ
42 Joseph Hammer - Roadless Travel
43 Oren Ambarchi - Quixotism
44 Laura Cannell - Quick Sparrows Over The Black Earth
45 Howard Riley - To Be Continued...
46 Owen Pallett - In Conflict
47 Ariel Pink - Pom Pom
48 Akio Suzuki & Aki Onda - ma ta ta bui
49 Pharmakon - Bestial Burden
50 Flying Lotus - You're Dead

F&B:

an epic centerpiece (the 7:13 “Instant Disassembly”) that’s as much of a tour-de-force mission statement as “Marquee Moon.”

HELL NO! And not for wanting to mention them too many more times on this thread, that Ought album is much closer to reviving the eloquence of Television. I haven't done much formal music writing this year, but this was my take on Sunbathing Animal from earlier on in the summer. Not a particularly inspiring album, and I rather enjoyed Light Up Gold.

Glad nick typed that up as when i went to do it my ipad decided it wouldnt let me access it despite it supposedly being my last issue of the subscription.
Print version not arrived yet.

Wire playin it safe this year!

thanks Nick, didn't know there were new Bozulich or AMM albums, more cool shit to check out

Has one American publication rode for Sleaford Mods?

xp C. Bozulich album is really good, absolutely check it

The Bozulich is great.

Bozulich is great, yes

awesome, thanks y'all

the top ten is a little predictable, but if anyone wants to sell me on some of the records in the lower reaches, i'm all ears

another vote for carla b.

yeah Bozulich in my top 10 for sure.

still really love that holly herndon track almost 12 months on

An odd choice of #1 by The Wire. A minor work by Aphex standards.

found the Drcarlsonalbion record really enjoyable too, moreso than the Earth album which (expectedly) overshadowed it. Earth-ish still, but w/ most of the metal influence siphoned out

Lanegan kinda dragged his two Earth songs down a bit, huh? The woman from Rose Windows, though ... wow.

fans of clicking will be delighted to learn that the FACT album list is now up:

http://www.factmag.com/2014/12/09/the-50-best-albums-of-2014/

did not expect that no. 1, given the prior 49 in fact's list. interesting.

I haven't got past number 50, but it's great.

ha ha what?! xp

FACT 50 Best Albums 2014

50. CHARLES BARABÉ - Insultes (hommage à John Cage)
49. CELESTIAL TRAX - Production Mix
48. DJ DODGER STADIUM - Friend of Mine
47. FRANK & TONY - You Go Girl
46. l s d x o x o - w h o r e c o r e
45. MIX-O-RAP - I am the DMR
44. SD - Truly Blessed
43. HR GIGER’S STUDIOLO - HR Giger’s Studiolo
42. KIT- Lownt God Rising
41. ANGEL 1 - Allegra Bin 1
40. THE CYCLIST - Flourish
39. SUPREME CUTS - Divine Ecstacy
38. EKOPLEKZ - Unfidelity
37. SD LAIKA - That’s Harakiri
36. ROME FORTUNE - Beautiful Pimp II
35. MOIRÉ - Shelter
34. KANE WEST - Western Beats
33. SHABAZZ PALACES - Lese Majesty
32. LEON VYNEHALL - Music for the Uninvited
31. BEATKING - Gangster Stripper Music 2
30. SUSANNA / JENNY HVAL - Meshes of Voice
29. FREDDIE GIBBS & MADLIB - Piñata
28. KASSEM MOSSE - Workshop 19
27. FATHER - Young Hot Ebony
26. VIA APP - Dangerous Game
25. DEAN BLUNT - Black Metal
24. ANGEL OLSEN - Burn Your Fire For No Witness
23. UNTOLD - Black Light Spiral
22. LAWRENCE ENGLISH = Wilderness of Mirrors
21. THE BUG - Angels and Devils
20. BEATRICE DILLON & RUPERT CLAIRVAUX - Studies I-XVII for Samplers and Percussion
19. DAVINCHE & KATIE PEARL - Unreleased LP
18. ITAL - Endgame
17. YOUNG THUG & BLOODY JAY - Black Portland
16. FKA TWIGS - LP1
15. LOTIC - Damsel in Distress
14. BING & RUTH - Tomorrow was the Golden Age
13. VALERIO TRICOLI - Miseri Lares
12. ARIEL PINK - pom pom
11. GROUPER - Ruins
10. SHINICHI ATOBE - Butterfly Effect
09. SICKO MOBB - Super Saiyan Vol. 1
08. MICA LEVI - Under The Skin
07. POPCAAN - Where We Come From
06. YG - My Krazy Life
05. LORENZO SENNI - Superimpositions
04. ANDY STOTT - Faith in Strangers
03. PC MUSIC - PC Music x DISown Radio Mix
02. MR MITCH - Parallel Memories
01. SUN KIL MOON - Benji

Yeah, that number one almost felt like a joke at the end.

43. HR GIGER’S STUDIOLO - HR Giger’s Studiolo

OK, I'm intrigued.

good to see the Jenny Hval & Susanna record popping up on these lists. have found previous Susanna albums a bit too precious, but this one is flat-out great

i never got beyond "admire" to "love" with that hval/susanna but it was def impressive

a little surprised to see frank & tony (a very good album) but not francis harris's (incredible) solo

Anyone wanna type up the SPIN list? My Kindle keeps crashing every time I try to click through it

never change, SPIN

10. SHINICHI ATOBE - Butterfly Effect

Didnt know he was still making records(!)

Yeah, that number one almost felt like a joke at the end.

almost?

or...didnt know he ever released anything other than that great 12"

francis harris would be a good one for the soft sad techno thread if it's not already there

17. Sonny Simmons & Moksha Samnyasin, Nomadic

This one off the Burning Ambulance jazz list probably won't get much love but I think it is excellent. It is a middle eastern sounding psyche/drone/jazz collaboration, it sounds like a jazz Ensemble Pearl with sitars.

like a jazz Ensemble Pearl with sitars

yeah you can just put that one straight in the bag cheers

cosign

Sorry for my tone; I was just frustrated. I don't really care that much. Here's the list for anyone who wants to see.

http://m.spin.com/articles/50-best-albums-2014/?utm_source=spinfacebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=spinfacebook

There's usually a couple African albums in many of these lists, but never Brazilian, which is kind of odd. People are missing out on some great music. First Nação Zumbi in seven years, Tom Zé, Moreno Veloso, etc. People here may dig this with some squanky guitars:

Juçara Marçal - Encarnado
http://dedicatedearsfreealbumlist.blogspot.com/2014/03/jucara-marcal-encarnado-free-dl.html (Free DL)

Has anyone played a track/album from these end of year lists that they hadn't otherwise heard and found something amazing?
--djh

that patrick topping track at no 2 on the dj mag list is WHOA

SPIN 50 Best Albums of 2014

50 ScHoolboy Q, Oxymoron
49 Tacocat, NVM
48 Ben Frost, A U R O R A
47 TV on the Radio, Seeds
46 Hundred Waters, The Moon Rang Like a Bell
45 Eric Church, The Outsiders
44 Shabazz Palaces, Lese Majesty
43 Charli XCX, Sucker
42 Mac DeMarco, Salad Days
41 Lana Del Rey, Ultraviolence
40 Real Estate, Atlas
39 Afghan Whigs, Do to the Beast
38 Azealia Banks, Broke With Expensive Taste
37 Cymbals Eat Guitars, LOSE
36 Young Thug & Bloody Jay, Black Portland
35 Homeboy Sandman, Hallways
34 Taylor Swift, 1989
33 Andy Stott, Faith in Strangers
32 Joyce Manor, Never Hungover Agai
31 Sylvan Esso, Sylvan Esso
30 Ariel Pink, pom pom
29 Flight Facilities, Down to Earth
28 Ryan Adams, Ryan Adams
27 Pallbearer, Foundations of Burden
26 St. Vincent, St. Vincent
25 Freddie Gibbs and Madlib, Piñata
24 Protomartyr, Under Color of Official Right
23 Aphex Twin, Syro
22 Cloud Nothings, Here and Nowhere Else
21 FKA Twigs, LP1
20 ASTR, Varsity EP
19 Miranda Lambert, Platinum
18 YG, My Krazy Life
17 Swans, To Be Kind
16 Todd Terje, It's Album Time
15 Sia, 1000 Forms of Fear
14 Against Me!, Transgender Dysphoria Blues
13 How to Dress Well, "What Is This Heart?"
12 Spoon, They Want My Soul (
11 Betty Who, Take Me When You Go
10 The New Pornographers, Brill Bruisers
9 tUnE-yArDs, Nikki Nack
8 Tinashe, Aquarius
7 Future Islands, Singles
6 Sun Kil Moon, Benji
5 Caribou, Our Love
4 Jenny Lewis, The Voyager
3 Run the Jewels, Run the Jewels 2
2 Parquet Courts, Sunbathing Animal
1 The War on Drugs, Lost in the Dream

tacocat

Has anyone played a track/album from these end of year lists that they hadn't otherwise heard and found something amazing?
--djh

Yes, Goat's album Commune is absolutely fantastic, as well as their earlier work.

at least YG keeps continually popping up in the top 20 of multiple lists

I feel like Richard Dawson, Swans, Scott Walker/Sunn O))), Einsturzende Neubauten, Godflesh, could fit into a new sub-genre, Difficult Listening for Old Men. We need a more succinct/affectionate name though.

wrinkle rock.

Difficult Listening For Old Men is better and more accurate than most new genre names

Ha ha ha