Best Albums of 2014

December 22, 2014 in Music

Nothing like end of the year music lists. Love reading them and making new discoveries and hearing good arguments about what's great. I love the process of relistening to many albums and making a list of my own. I've done this since 2006...

Previous Years -- My Best Albums

2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006

I'm leaving minimal comments, but trying to give some hint at what I like. Bottom line for me is that it's really easy to click a link and listen to the samples to see if anything catches your ear. That's often how I discover great albums.

Please let me know in the comments your favorite albums of the year, your top 5, whatever you like!

Album 20-11

20. Swans - To Be Kind | I just LOVE what they do. Deserves recognition.

19. Ty Segall - Manipulator | Rocking retro music. Catchy catchy.

18. Hiss Golden Messenger - Lateness of Dancers | One my favorite songwriters right now.

17. The New Pornographers - Brill Bruisers | A band that rarely makes a mistake. Masters of the catchy. The best pop music in the world that doesn't make the radio.

16. Phantogram - Voices | Listened to more than most albums on this list because it's just so much stinkin' fun! Dance, dance revolution!

15. Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire For No Witness | Love the creativity behind the angst. An album worth meandering through again and again.

14. Alvvays - Alvvays | A hazy, dreamy daisy. A lot of fun. I put this on a lot. "Marry Me, Archie" is a favorite song this year.

13. Andrew Bird - Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of... | Got so much play late in the year. Might be the most accessible Andrew Bird album out there.

12. Champs - Down Like Gold | Not easy to get, but worth it. Gorgeous harmonies. Thoughtful lyrics.

11. FKA twigs - LP1 | A little over-produced, but a remarkable, powerfully delicate sound. Broke so many of my expectations.

Album 10-6

10. Sharon Van Etten - Are We There | Somber. Rarely fun. But so, so good. Beautifully written & emotionally performed. Sharon's body of work is outstanding, album after album.

9. Spoon - They Want My Soul | I've liked Spoon for some time, but I don't remember an album that called me back over and over. Some of the best indie rock being made.

8. Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else | A fantastic album that I had listed lower and it kept saying to me, "I'm better than that." Yes. Yes you are. Punky, rock, and throttled. Turn it up and go.

7. Jack White - Lazaretto | Crank UP the title track. I listened when I first picked it up, stopped for a while, and now I listen to it more than ever. Evidence of a great album is that it won't let you stay away. One of White's best albums.

6. Sia - 1000 Forms of Fear | The remarkable song, "Chandelier," deserved some attention so I gave it some at CaPC. This is way bigger than one song. A remarkable selection of some of the best pop songs of the year by what I think is one of our better minds in the pop music world. She gets the mix of thoughtful lyrics, big hooks, and soaring sounds. The levels of honest are remarkable.

TOP 5 ALBUMS OF 2014

5. Caribou - Our Love | The best amalgamation of music I can close my eyes and dive in to on my headphones as well as can serve as background for work or play. Everything Caribou does is gold and this is 24K.

4. Saintseneca - Dark Arc | I gave this one a review at CaPC because it demanded it. Read that review to find out why this is not only an enjoyable album, but redemptive. An album almost no one is talking about and that's a shame.

3. The War on Drugs - Lost In The Dream | This is one of the best reviewed albums of the year. I've seen 10 #1 listings so far. Could easily be higher. I struggle to even describe what this album is. It crosses some of my favorite kinds of music. Can I just ask you to check it out? Ok, thanks.

2. John Fullbright - Songs | This was a late year discovery for me and has had me entranced from the first listen. So. Many. Good. SONGS. Some of the best songwriting I've found. And the dude's like 25. This one can appeal to people who like troubadours, singer-songwriters, baritone, indie, even country, or americana.

1. Delta Spirit - Into the Wide | I expect to put up a more proper review of this album sometime. It's overdue, and this album and this band deserves more attention from the world. To me, this is simply one of the best bands playing. They are outstanding live. They know how to do quiet and thoughtful as well as really loud and thoughtful.

This is one heckuvan album, and it's beloved by members of my family who have very different tastes.

The Reader Speaks | Best Albums of 2012

November 26, 2012 in Music

Working over the next few weeks on my Best Albums of 2012 list. Here is my list from last year with links to all previous years. Most of my readers don't post lists of their best albums of the year, so I'm wondering what your "Best Of" list would look like. Let us know what you liked in 2012. Put them in order, list them without rank, or just share that *one* that you wish everyone would hear.

Best Albums of 2011

December 19, 2011 in Music

Time for my Best Albums of 2011 list. I don't listen to everything out there (who has the time? or money?), but I listen to a lot. I hope my list will help you discover some new music. I'll give comment to the higher picks and I'm happy to discuss any of the albums, why I liked them, why some albums are not on my list, etc. Please list your favorite album(s) in the comments. Love to hear'em.

See my Best Albums of 2010|2009|2008|2007|2006

ARGUMENTATIVE

tUnE-yArDs: W H O K I L L | As creative as it gets, but not as good of a listen as some say. When I listen, it stretches me but leaves me somehow unsatisfied. I want to both celebrate this accomplishment and punch it in the face.

ALBUMS 35-21

35. Girls: Father, Son, Holy Ghost

34. Cults: Cults

33. Real Estate: Days

32. Okkervil River: I Am Very Far

31. Washed Out: Within or Without

30. My Morning Jacket: Circuital

29. Explosions in the Sky: Take Care, Take Care, Take Care

28. Ryan Adams: Ashes & Fire

27. Crystal Castles: (II)

26. War On Drugs: Slave Ambient

25. Dolorean: The Unfazed

24. Ha Ha Tonka: Death of a Decade

23. Wilco: The Whole Love

22. The Pains of Being Pure In Heart: Belong

21. Glasser: Ring

ALBUMS 20-11

20. Joy Formidable: The Big Roar | Running through thorn bushes at full speed.

19. Fleet Foxes: Helplessness Blues | Dancing through willow branches in slow motion.

18. Middle Brother: Middle Brother | Love these three guys. Love what they created. But I still like what they do separately better than collectively. That said, it's a great album.

17. The Horrors: Skying | Eerie flight. Bending notes. Worthy of both their name and the album's name.

16. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins: Diamond Mine | Fragile Scottish lullabies. Delicate & delightful. Pipe smoking. Peat beneath my feet.

15. The Roots: Undun | Concept album well conceived. Arrived late, but deserves much attention. Looking forward to more listens.

14. Beirut: The Rip Tide | Not sure they can make a bad record. Distant world flavor. Horntastic. Seasoning for a bland day.

13. The Antlers: Burst Apart | Please keep making music! They are doing amazing things, first through Hospice and now with Burst Apart. A wonderful follow-up to a crazy-good album.

12. James Blake: James Blake | Audio playground. A sonic dance. Ear candy...that's good for you. A blend of a powerful voice and eclectic editing and creative processing. It continues to grow on me.

11. Dawes: Nothing Is Wrong | Opening song, "Time Spent in Los Angeles," is one of my favorite songs of the year. I think I once listened to it 5 times in a row. Songwriting excellence. Lyric-driven rock'n'roll.

TOP 10

10. Decemberists: The King Is Dead | Their best-ever album. So many good songs. Thoroughly enjoyable. Completely accessible, yet it's well-crafted art and deserving of high praise. "Bear your neighbors' burden within reason." Singable. If you are weirded out by indie music, let this album invite you in.

9. Frank Turner: England Keep My Bones | Passionate. Straight-forward = says what he means. Atheistic worship songs, but don't let that discourage you. Redemptive themes throughout. It's incredibly informative, enjoyable, and artistic. Loud, but acoustically controlled loud. Sing-along with beer in hand. Punk sensibilities. Masterful. At times it's old-school Avettastic screamishness.

8. Low: C'mon | Some of the most memorable lyrics of the year are here. Some because of word choice, and some because of how they are presented. The critical calling out of "all you guys out there tryin’ to act like Al Green, y'all are weak." "I'm nothing but heart" repeated for 6 minutes in a slow, heavy, glorious swell. "Try to sleep" and "don't look at the camera" on the opening track captured by a wonderful, memorable melody. As a whole this album is a slow crawl... beautiful, often delicately heavy, and always unsettlingly moody. A haunting album that won't leave you alone.

7. Wye Oak: Civilian | Moaning. Longing. Power on the edge of letting go. Back-n-forth between cleanly crafted & fuzzy heaviness. Dark. Haunted. A sense that something isn't quite right in the world. Uneasy. Wonderfully disjointed at times. What you create after a disturbing dream brings you to your knees.

6. The Field: Looping State of Mind | It is looping, ambient soundscapes. Perfect for work, reading, etc. Or, and maybe more important, it's perfect for putting the headphones on, laying down, turning it up, and riding along. These steady slow builds and gradual descents are a joy to navigate. And beyond mere ambient sounds without structure, that can be a pleasure as well, these tracks are guided by heavy beats and basslines. So while the music soars, it also stomps, stomps, stomps along.

5. Josh Garrels: Love & War & The Sea In Between | Listened to this album more than most. Poetic. Rhythmic. Completely Christ-haunted and distinctly Christian, yet some of the best music of the year Christian or otherwise. I can't believe how little buzz I've seen about this album. It's really wonderful. And it's 100% FREE, which means everyone should be checking out and loving this album. And then you'll want to check out Josh's other albums.

4. Bon Iver: Bon Iver, Bon Iver | I wanted to rate this lower simply because I loved For Emma, Forever Ago so much. I need objectivity! Stupid me. While losing the romance of discovery of Justin Vernon's falsetto and magical soundscapes that came with For Emma, this album establishes his genius as a lasting force. I ranted last year on Twitter that Vernon should stop making side projects and stick to Bon Iver. My goodness. He did.

3. M83: Hurry Up We're Dreaming | I enjoyed M83's 2008 album, Saturdays = Youth, though I seem to remember finding it late. I was interested when I hear a new album was coming. I didn't know I should be this interested. It adds more soar, more lift, more joy to 80's shoegaze. It also adds more epic views of despair. It really is a masterpiece that I, so far, haven't been able to stop listening to. The first five songs alone are worth the price of the album. I wish John Hughes was around to hear this.

2. PJ Harvey: Let England Shake | A remarkable album. Disturbing. Poignant. WWI, war-time, yet universal at all times to the war-torn everywhere. Quirky. Odd. Rare. PJ's voice is a perfect kind of shrill (if there is such a thing) for these creative arrangements. On deck during a colossal battle, the siren of the ocean sings beyond view through the storm & cannons. The guts of dead soldiers are clearly in view.

1. The Poison Tree: The Poison Tree | Lovely & subtly massive. Cinematic. Baritone vocals. Literary. Charming. Moody. Introspective. Wistful. Barely wet city streets. Black and white. Hands-in-pockets. Collar pulled tight. Good penmanship, elegant words, antique fountain pen on an antique journal on an antique table in a sparsely decorated and lonely room. Life...experienced. Calmly dramatic. This album is almost completely and shamefully neglected. It's a rarely reviewed 2011 masterpiece. It's not #1 because it's neglected. It's #1 because it's gorgeous and brilliant. Please buy it...and be moved.

Some Lists | Best Albums of 2011

December 05, 2011 in Music

Some year-end lists of the best albums of 2011 are coming out. Some are right up my alley and some challenge, uh, my alley. Best of lists aren't only good to compare your own favorites, but to discover albums you may not have found otherwise. I'm already listening to a couple of albums I would have ignored if not for showing up on a respected list. Check some of these out (several compiled by the excellent Stereogum).

Paste | Top 50
Uncut | Top 50
Mojo | Top 50
Q | Top 50
Stereogum | Top 50
Filter | Top 10
Chicago Tribune | Greg Kot Top 20
Metacritic | 2011 Music Critic Top 10 Lists - a collection of all top lists, and using those rankings to give weight to overall best of 2011 list

Great Prices on Best Albums of 2010

December 21, 2010 in Music

I offered my "Best Albums of 2010" list this week. Several of them are on sale for pretty doggone cheap right now, so I thought I'd let you know of the best deals. Prices can change quickly, so check before you buy. These are currently listed $6.99 or less...