RECORDS OF 2014
2014 was perhaps the best year so far in a smelting five years for ore-some music. Looking down that top 10 there presents an unparalleled cross-section of this meta-modernist age and Dean Blunt, placed at number 8, perhaps best represents this diversity with his lo-fi, condensed take on dub, indie and soul - plus many many more. Or even Caribou, at number 2 with a giddy, gleeful electronic disco album that is as current at it can possibly get.
But look again down the list and the thing that stands out the most is the production. A few of the records here in theory - or with bad speakers - sound like they could have been made in any decade. But listen closer and The War On Drugs created the best shoegazey Springsteen album ever. Shabazz palaces dropped the best electronic producers hip-hop album ever, Cloud Nothings the snarliest, snarkiest punk album ever and so on. PS. Gruff Rhys made an absolute career high LP with insightful folk and pop, and he's still only 45!
2014 was too a great year for folk, with Sun Kil Moon crafting a depressing landscape of 11 songs about loss and mourning over the most gorgeous, insightful and unbelievable circumstances imaginable. James Yorkston, in his Scottish hushed-down voice soothed at number 10 and also check out number 24, the title says it all; a very very special folk album.
Hip-hop fared well with a fantastic, unintentionally placed 12-14 of irresistible funky word-play, scrab-tacular electronica and lo-fi thug rap of Open Mike Eagle, Flying Lotus and Freddie Gibbs & Madlib respectively.Lest we forget El-P and Killer Mike with their bulletproof Run The Jewels sequel at 22.
Each year there usually seems to be someone who emerges as a savour and in 2014 it was two people. Brian Eno, the man of sounds and ex Talking Heads front-man Karl Hyde who collaborated here on two fantastic sound collage albums with the best electronic production, analogue instrumentation and layered, out-there vocals, since, since, since, since, since.................
Sorry this was late; definitely check out this 25. Stay tuned for 2015 in the forthcoming days. Blogonese is back. Merry mixmas.
1.The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream
2014 was perhaps the best year so far in a smelting five years for ore-some music. Looking down that top 10 there presents an unparalleled cross-section of this meta-modernist age and Dean Blunt, placed at number 8, perhaps best represents this diversity with his lo-fi, condensed take on dub, indie and soul - plus many many more. Or even Caribou, at number 2 with a giddy, gleeful electronic disco album that is as current at it can possibly get.
But look again down the list and the thing that stands out the most is the production. A few of the records here in theory - or with bad speakers - sound like they could have been made in any decade. But listen closer and The War On Drugs created the best shoegazey Springsteen album ever. Shabazz palaces dropped the best electronic producers hip-hop album ever, Cloud Nothings the snarliest, snarkiest punk album ever and so on. PS. Gruff Rhys made an absolute career high LP with insightful folk and pop, and he's still only 45!
2014 was too a great year for folk, with Sun Kil Moon crafting a depressing landscape of 11 songs about loss and mourning over the most gorgeous, insightful and unbelievable circumstances imaginable. James Yorkston, in his Scottish hushed-down voice soothed at number 10 and also check out number 24, the title says it all; a very very special folk album.
Hip-hop fared well with a fantastic, unintentionally placed 12-14 of irresistible funky word-play, scrab-tacular electronica and lo-fi thug rap of Open Mike Eagle, Flying Lotus and Freddie Gibbs & Madlib respectively.Lest we forget El-P and Killer Mike with their bulletproof Run The Jewels sequel at 22.
Each year there usually seems to be someone who emerges as a savour and in 2014 it was two people. Brian Eno, the man of sounds and ex Talking Heads front-man Karl Hyde who collaborated here on two fantastic sound collage albums with the best electronic production, analogue instrumentation and layered, out-there vocals, since, since, since, since, since.................
Sorry this was late; definitely check out this 25. Stay tuned for 2015 in the forthcoming days. Blogonese is back. Merry mixmas.
1.The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream
2. Caribou – Our Love
3.Shabazz Palaces – Lese Majesty
4. Cloud Nothings – Here And Nowhere Else
5. D’Angelo - Black Messiah
6. Gruff Rhys – American Interior
7. Aphex Twin – Syro
8. Dean Blunt – Black Metal
9. Sun Kil Moon – Benji
10. James Yorkston – The Cellardyke Recording and Wassailing Society
11.Fennesz – Becs
12. Open Mike Eagle – Dark Comedy
13. Flying Lotus – You’re Dead!
14. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib – Pinata
15. Tinariwen –Emmar
16. Penguin Café Orchestra – The Red Book
17. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart – Days Of Abandon
18. Alvvays – Alvvays
19. Brian Eno & Karl Hyde - High Life
20. Brian Eno & Karl Hyde - Someday World
21. Cymbals Eat
Guitars – Lose
22. RTJ2 – RTJ2
23. Spoon – They Want
My Soul
24. King Creoste –
From Scotland With Love
25. The Men – Tomorrow’s
Hits
