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Stuart

Music of the Year!

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Heyo! It's almost 2015, and we already got a thread on GOTYs (No Movies of the Year thread tho, hmmm...), so I thought, "Hey, music is cool. There was cool music this year. How about we talk about our fav musics?"

 

Anyway, you can make your list or whatever however you like, but here's some suggested categories if you're thinking on that:

 

- Best Albums/Mixtapes of the 2014

- Best Songs/Singles of 2014

- Best Music Video of 2014

- Song You've Played Most This Year (Doesn't Have to Be From 2014)

 

That's all I got for now. Feel free to put links to the songs or w/e, unless it's already been posted. Be sure to give some sort of explanation to each of your picks! Make it one sentence, a whole essay, w/e. 

 

With that said, here's the best music I've heard from 2014!

 

Best Albums/Mixtapes (In No Order):

 

Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2: El-P and Killer Mike at the top of their game. Booming beats by El-P, tighter flow from both El and Mike, as well as much cleverer and hard hitting delivery and lyrics. From songs about murdering and stealing, to songs about fucking, to songs about police brutality and the cost of poverty in America, this album has it all in intense, blood-pumping power. Way better than RTJ1. Here's a sample:

 

 

Clipping - CLPPNG: Insane industrial glitch beats accompanied by Daveed Diggs' introspective lyrics powered by completely awe-inspiring flow. This is the pinnacle of experimental rap imo.

 

 

Mick Jenkins - The WaterChicago rapper Mick Jenkins releases his third mixtape, and it's absolute fucking fire. Smooth, watery (see what I did there) beats and amazing flow and lyrics by Jenkins. Along with people like Chance the Rapper, NoName Gypsy, and Saabo, Jenkins is another in a long line of amazing Chicago rappers. 

 

 

Flying Lotus - You're Dead!: FlyLo is back with his most personal, introspective, and cohesive album. Everything you expect from FlyLo is here: Jazzy, experimental, electronic beats of the most amazing kind. 

 

 

Best Song of 2014: Never Catch Me by Flying Lotus. I cannot stop listening to it.

 

So anyway, that's all I could think of at the moment! Feel free to continue editing your list if you've listened to new stuff, or just make a new post!

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I accidentally posted this thread before finishing it, so the opening post isn't as good as I intended it to be and I may have forgotten albums and songs I wanted to talk about. Oh well!

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Best Albums

 

Run the Jewels 2 - As discussed by OP. Great timed social commentary as well as just generally good music. 

 

Yeezus - Not sure if this counts, its late 2013 but I bought it a few days ago and I love the shit out of it. Im not a hip hop listener really, I listen to electronic music and so I put this album above RTJ2 on account of its production. I love how unafraid of weird song structure and sound design the whole album is. There's a section of a tune (I am God I think) where it sounds like Kanye screaming and running. I love it. 

The whole thing is so dark and minimal while still sounding massive and full. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsgx7ZPSrfQ

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzbIAfh43Hg

This one apparently made Lou Reed cry (according to wikipedia). 

 

Ulterior Motives' The Fourth Wall - A pretty sweet DNB album, I particularly liked Tape Pack which is a nostalgic tune that sits really well with me for reasons I cant articulate at this moment.

 

apart from these I listened to a ton of Drum and Bass from various comilation albums which were full of good music. 

 

Anyway thats my half assed mini awards

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There's a tie for favorite hip-hop album of the year: Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Piñata and Killer Mike & El-P - Run The Jewels 2. Damn, don't know who to pick...

Other hip-hop albums I thoroughly enjoyed:

Isaiah Rashad - Cilvia Demo

Blu - Good to be Home

Clipping - CLPPING

Oxymoron

Big K.R.I.T. - Cadillactica

Deniro Farrar - Rebirth

Shabbaz Palaces - Lese Majesty

QuEst - Searching Sylvan

Ratking- So It Goes

Father - Young Hot Ebony

Cyhi- Black Hystori Project

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Dang, out of all of those I only listened to Interpol, Augustines, the Antlers, Kishi Bashi, and Kurt Vile which didn't come out in 2014. Of those I only liked Interpol (I'm not counting Kurt Vile because it's basically just part of WoaPD).

I think if I had to pick an album of the year it'd be La Dispute which I thought was pretty good, but I was underwhelmed/disappointed by the majority of the albums I listened to this year. I need to go through my music though and actually take stock of what came out this year.

Albums I remember listening to off the top of my head:

These ones were between bad and not great:

Trentemøller

Cymbals Eat Guitars

The Antlers

Augustines

Tokyo Police Club

DFA1979 (didn't finish listening to it to be fair)

Cold War Kids

These ones were alright:

This Will Destroy You

Manchester Orchestra (non acoustic album)

La Dispute

Mastodon (tracks were super hit or miss)

Every Time I Die

Jamie T

Animals As Leaders

Heartships

Interpol

Rx Bandits

Favorite music video is definitely PPL MVR though

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This year had Babymetal's self-titled debut album. So, you know, there's that.

 

 

Additionally, any year in which The Birthday Massacre has a new album is a year in which The Birthday Massacre wins album of the year for me. They havent really changed their sound much since Walking With Strangers, but that's not a bad thing.

 

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Seems like I have bought (or included in my permanent Spotify collection) quite a bit fewer albums this year than in 2013. Still a lot of excellent stuff. For example:

 

Hauschka - Abandoned City

 

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Jack White - Lazaretto

 

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Mirel Wagner - When the Cellar Children See the Light of Day

 

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Leonard Cohen - Popular Problems

 

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Electric Wizard - Time to Die

 

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(Sorry, but I can't really articulate why I like them so much.)

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Favourite Album:

88:88 - Makeup and Vanity Set (Which I'm sneaking into this thread because I added it 363 days ago)
 
Runners up:
Run The Jewels 2
FRACT OST - Mogi Grumbles
 
Favourite song:
2 is 8 - LONE:
 
Runners up:
(Which for some reason always makes me think about
)
 
 
 
Most played:
 
Dunno how to feel about that. It's far from my favourite track this year, but I like it as a pick me up. From the same album, I really, really like For by Nils Frahm.
 
The album is Erased Tapes Collection IV, and I found that there were always tracks on it that slowly encroached on my brain and eventually registered as annoyance. I think it was only on the fifth or sixth listen I realised they were all the songs and remixes by Rival Consoles, who I then sought out and confirmed that, yes, I hate his work and unlike most music it has a way of prfoundly annoying me. I then found his official artist bio, which talks about how he shares a house in London with some really good other composers <-- yeah, great, well done :tup:. I deleted all of his tracks and think it's a much better album for it. His songs seem to play around with dubstep sounds in a half arsed way that pales next to stuff I was listening and dancing to six years ago. Anyway, I don't mean to unreccomend the album, it has Nils Frahm, Peter Broderick, Ólafur Arnalds and A Winged Victory For The Sullen on it and their stuff is really great.

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Really enjoyed Giraffage's No Reason EP, which came out not too long ago. His claim on this album was that he wasn't sampling songs (a skill that he's really great at), but he still manages to sample song-like things and keep a similar sound to his other albums.

 

 

Am I a goof for saying I really liked Makonnen's Tuesday w/ the Drake feature? I feel like Makonnen is like Drake's Lil' B and I'm kind of into the fact that they made that video together.

 

 

Hey, ya'll: remember when Beyonce dialed her foot phone? That was a pretty great video, even if the song is kind of dull:

 

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Additionally, any year in which The Birthday Massacre has a new album is a year in which The Birthday Massacre wins album of the year for me. They havent really changed their sound much since Walking With Strangers, but that's not a bad thing.

Haha, I love them. I think most people would make fun of me, but their music is always solid, even if it's sort of teenybop goth stuff. I'm cool with that though.

 

I think the track you posted is kind of bad though, I skip that one.

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Honestly, my favorite album this year is Mouth Silence, maybe that means I should just not post in the thread.

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Artist of The Year: Mac Demarco

Super smooth psych pop that also knows how to croon in the night. I think they're a wonderful complement to my other favourite band Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

 

I made a top eight albums which was really easy to do since I've either gone "yeah okay" or "bleh" to every other release I've heard this year. In order of attachment:
 
FKA Twigs -LP1 

Give Up

This release hit me like a brick this year. It's atmospheric, fragile but it also roars when it needs to. Deserves to be listened in full.

 
Mac Demarco -Salad Days

The coolest new summer tunes. Mac Demarco ranges from lazy afternoon music to night time crooner, there's a place for both styles in his rather delicious range.


Perfume Genius -Too Bright

Urgent, melancholy, a little fantastical, and a whole lot of gospel.


Death Grips -Niggas On tha Moon

 

Easily my favourite DG album (NoTM > EM > TMS > GP > NLDW). It feels weird to post any song other than the opening track when the flow between subsequent songs feels so important to the album.


Arca -Xen
Not really a show one song and judge kind of album.

What it is though is a moody album that never really pumps up or shouts out but does make a nice soundtrack to any kind of repetitive task you're committing to. Like say a video game.

Future Islands -Singles

 

Some of the best synth pop I've heard. This album took me by surprise and quickly arrested my attention. The beats and flow of the songs feels nice but what really sells it is the emotion the lead singer puts into their tracks.


Cymbals Eat Guitars -LOSE

 

I just find this to be a really fun indie rock band. I haven't really looked for fun indie rock bands since Arctic Monkeys or Foals so its great to have a new one.


Iceage -Plowing Into the Field of Love

I think this is a really fun angry youth themed album. What makes it more than just that are the commonalities with The Libertines and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds.


Honorary mention to Electric Wizard -Time to Die
(which currently has no songs on youtube)

It's a pretty good Doom Metal album. I don't think it's the best because none of the songs beyond Incense for The Damned stand out for me but the album is worth a look for that song alone.


For Best Video there have been some great ones out but Perfume Genius' - Queen takes the cake.

I just really like the emotional high I can ride on while viewing this.


The runner up goes to Sleaford Mods

I find this video to be really slick. the imagery the vocalist conjures up hits hard and is delivered pulsing with attitude. The bass line writhes throughout the song, a guitar casually keys in in this lazily confident sort of way while the drum loops glue everything together. I'd like to see more music videos delivered in completely mundane locations.

 

My most played song this year is Preface which is the opening track to FKA Twigs LP1 and sits at 67 plays.

 

Also I can't show off music I've loved this year without mentioning The Drones. Their Australian garage/alt rock songs are typically lyrically vivid musically intense and dramatic in notion but they also know how to write songs with a more measured or quiet pace granted they frequently rise to end with a  thundering bang. 2013's I See Seaweed is easily their best while 2008's Havilah is a well meaning runner up.

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Didn't listen to any full albums from this year (outside of Mandatory Fun, which...yeah, whatever) but some pretty good songs came out:

 

Almost forgot to include this, but I do think this is the best song (and definitely the best music video) of the year.

 

DJ Snake & Lil Jon - Turn Down For What

 

These too are also good:

 

Future & Andre 3000 - Benz Friendz:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Obz1Gnipv3k

 

Kendrick Lamar - i:

 

Vince Staples - Progressive 3:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsDrnIZkhaU

 

TI feat. Young Thug - About the Money:

 

 

 

But mostly I just listened to the same two albums over and over and over again: Suicide's self-titled from 1977 and Von Lmo's Future Language from 1981. Like, if you added up all the music I listened to this year, it'd be damn near 50% Suicide and Von Lmo.

 

So...

 

Suicide - Cheree:

 

Von Lmo - Fire Eyes:

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I don't tend to be very current with music, but these three are probably my most listened to music this year:

 

FKA twigs, I have no idea where she came from but holy shit this stuff is amazing.

 

 

 

Continuation of my major Brittan binge of the last year. This was written when he was 19.

 

 

 

The beginnings of a major Steve Reich binge

 

 

 

My live show of the year (not that i got to much) goes to St. Vincent, who melted our faces off in an absolutely amazing gig.

 

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For me, there's only been 2 bands that have really grabbed me this year.

 

Best New Artist/Single/Album - Glass Animals

 

I really love the whole sound scape this band has. It's catchy, bizarre and unique. I emplore you to check out their whole album, but this is a definite favourite song from it:

 

 

Best Music Video - OKGO

 

 

This is really incredible. All shot in Japan, using a camera on a hover-copter, all on these weird cart things, and recorded at half speed, it's just insane. And all done in one shot too. Fucking amazing.

 

Best Gig - Death From Above 1979

 

They were awesome.

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Hey friends, 

 

This year I got a little proactive and comped my picks into two handy MP3s/lists, obviously Xmas themed!

 

A Nice list, mostly suitable for family listening, assuming you family is somewhat disaffected and somber, but not without joy, and a Naughty one probably less suitable, unless your family is into 55 second long bursts of smashed apart spite. 

 

Nice (15 songs, 45 minutes): http://bit.ly/1zfBt8L

Iceage: How Many (Plowing the Fields of Love lp)

Third Album, dripping cool, from these moody Danish post-teens. After two records of clattering, ramshackle punk, they pivoted seamlessly to surprisingly ambitions, moody Bad Seeds style, with great success. I knew this would be my favorite record of the year, and it’s always a treat when you’re not let down. Also, they hold the record as the band most incapable of tuning, so I hold no illusion they can pull any of this off live, though the singer can cruise by on looks.

 

Sheer Mag: Point Breeze (s/t 7”)
Out of nowhere (SUNY Purchase then Philly) emerges the new kings (and Queen) of power pop, heirs to the Exploding Hearts throne. 4 total hits of pure heart and fire. The only thing more surprising that how little anybody knew where it came from was how quickly the fire spread. Theirs will be the best lp of 2015, mark my words.

 

Yi: Going Dumb (Crying lp)

Inwardly gazing, and fully homemade, all the records in its tiny run were hand painted and I think that spirit carries through to the music. The entirety of the record covers a lot of musical ground and probably belongs in the other list, but that they can deliver a sweet little pop anthem underlines the thoughtfulness and craft that went into all their stuff.

 

Household: Panorama (Elaines lp)

Nervous, minimal, a little delicate and now also defunct, Brooklyn’s Household cut a distinct profile in its short life of UK inspired DIY Post Punk. Fun Fact: Tayla holds the honor of making the pop and hard list as the bassist of In School.

 

Connections: Aliya (Into Sixes lp)

You could do worse than trying to follow in Guided By Voices footsteps, and Ohio’s Connections have done a remarkable job, delivering anthem after lo-fi anthem on more 3 lps in less than 3 years, and this half year’s entry hasn’t seen the quality slip. 

 

Estrogen Highs: Privilege (Find Me on the Numbers Station lp)

The last few years have been pretty big for New Zealand pop revival, and I don’t think anybody does it as well as New Haven’s Estrogen Highs, managing to sound homemade, spontaneous and considered, and a little busted.

 

Total Control: Liberal Party (Typical System lp)

Starting as a side project of the Australian-Grammy-Nominated Eddie Current Suppression Ring, Total Control started doing, and still sometimes does a great 1970s LA Punk, but they’ve moved into weirder synthy post punk territory.

 

FKA Twigs: Two Weeks (LP1)

Everyone probably knows this. It’s this years hit. Deserved!

 

Raveonettes: Endless Sleeper (Pe’Ahi lp)

Still the best shoegaze revival, except on top of the wall of Jesus & Mary Chain inspired fuzz they now replaced the drums with breakbeats. I’ll bite.

 

Cold Beat: Uv (Over Me lp)

After the demise of semi-popular San Fran trio Grass Widow, Hannah Lew cooked up a sparse, moody collection of hits, now joined by Yi’s Jackson.

 

Rat Columns: Only Love Can Hurt You (Leaf lp)

Australian Import David West started RC as a solo recording project, of strange tape loops and experiments, but enlisted some Total Control people quickly evolved into this 80s UK jangle, plus a bigger 90s US indie thing. 

 

Blessed State: Best Case Scenario (Head Space lp)

I like when bands take a single record as a point of inspiration, as I’m pretty sure BS did with Husker Du’s Metal Circus, rough hewn but huge anthems anchored by a spindly highly contoured guitar line.

 

Naomi Punk: Linoleum Tryst (Television Man lp)

Olympia, WA has had a big few years, and Television Man is a moody crashing success, each track lurches forward in fits. I’m running out of steam here!

 

Stone Dagger: Siege of Jerusalem (s/t 7”)

One-man-band of Brendan Radigan, Boston hardcore neo-legend, doing a mid 80s melodic shredding metal project. Sort of a less heavy spinoff from one of his other bands, last year’s best in show, the Sabbathific Magic Circle lp. It’s actually weird how many currently active Boston bands consist of the same 3 people in different positions. I can think of 10. 

 

Raspberry Bulbs: Finger Bones (Crippled lp)

Ok, here’s something nobody will dig, but I’m sort of fascinated. RB evolved out of the grim, guttural, black metal act Bone Awl, but then went in some vaguely accessible direction, while retaining all of the obvious sonic markers of the prior band. Bleak and sinister, but a bit hooky.

 

 

 

Naughty (19 songs, 32 minutes): http://bit.ly/1xdYptT

In School: Conquest (Praxis of Hate 7”)

Four seriously cool BKLYN women get smart and raw. Tayla makes both lists for her skittery Household lp

 

Civilized: Wallflower (Dust and Blood 7”)

Best use of Youth of Today voice.

 

Replica: Night Life (Beast 7”)

Frontwoman Darhma needs to be seen to be believed, fast and brutal.

 

Fury: Day Today (Demo)

I will never tire of hard 88 revival/Chain of Strength done well.

 

Good Throb: You’re Shit (Fuck Off lp)

Tremendous lp in a tremendous year for London’s punk women. Discordant and mean.

 

Depths Of Reality: Revolution 101 (Demo)

2013 was HOAX’s year, and with the singer switching coasts, I assume to give his smashed face a rest, comes this dingy basement blur.

 

Frau: Snakeskin (Punk is My Boyfriend 7”)

London women, total spazzed out garbage. A little bit of Cramps (the band) a lot of shedding the skin of caring (hah).

 

Negligence: Forgotten (Demo)

Boston guttural crusters. Love the slam intro.

 

Hysterics: Psychic Drain (Can’t I Live 7”)

Four Olympia women, trashing and sick of life’s garbage.

 

Boston Strangler: Forward Into Death (Fire lp)

Boston Supergroup digs into the classic XCLAIM sound, plus a bit of early Sheer Terror.

 

New Brigade: Ignorant Ways (Join the Brigade lp)

Youth Crew revival again, over before you know it.

 

Survival: Forged In Iron (Forged in Iron 7”)

Warzone and Breakdown inspired NYHC. Ignorant! I think they’re euros though.

 

Scalped: At a Cross (s/t 7”)

Tony Molina’s latest HC band, mean and blown apart. Peep his solo records for pitch perfect Replacements/Weezer/Thin Lizzy material. No joke.

 

Head Creeps: Break Their Knees (Demo)

More NYHC, ignorant and stomping. Not euros.

 

Sludge: Surface (Conduct lp)

Surprise hit of the year, out of rural Japan delivering the best take on the classic 81 Japanese sound that’s been coming back around, metally, distinct, and vicious.

 

Midnight: Evil Like A Knife (No Mercy for Mayhem lp)

Vintage Clevo metal-punk stuff, fast and sleazy.

 

Battle Ruins: Slaughtering the Wolves like Sheep (s/t lp)

Boston skins, sort of sketchy vibes, but not a sketchy band, another Brendan project.

 

Teargas: The Place that was Promised (Burning Spirits 2014 7”)

Austrian take on a later Japanese sound, this from their tour split with Japan’s Forward

 

Iron Hand: Vainglory (Infected Fear lp)

Heavy crust from New Haven, with a bit of an epic conclusion.

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Most listened this year regardless of vintage: 

 

Michael Jackson - Bad

 

Most enjoyed album from last year that I didn't discover until this year:

 

Czarface - Czarface (It's Inspectah Deck and 7L & Esoteric)

 

Been meaning to listen to, but haven't gotten around to it

 

Negativland - It's All in Your Head

 

I notice that none of my categories are a solid recommendation of something current. I need to get back on top of this shit!!

 

Wait! I thought of one as I was typing this:

 

Pretty rad dumb song from this year that I listened to a ton and really like:

 

Stanton Warriors feat. Eboi - Jerk That

 

https://soundcloud.com/punksmusic/stanton-warriors-jerk-that-feat-eboi-original-mix

 

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I think much of what I listened to this year was from 2013 or even a few years earlier, as I practically hadn't listened to new music the previous years. Also I started dancing salsa so I heard a lot of salsa music, regardless of the year. Also, Moondog was playing a lot, discovered through these forums. But from 2014 I do have some favourites:

 

The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream

I love this Springsteen-y dad rock with spacey guitars and there were probably more days when I listened to a song from this album than there were those I didn't. I love most of the tracks; Red Eyes is probably the most listened

 

Tycho - Awake

Found this through the Hohokum trailer. Really love these kind of electronic soundscapes.

 

Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire for No Witness

Don't have much to say about it, though. White Fire is my favourite track from this.

 

 

Also worth a mention:

Fear of Men - Loom (favourite track: Luna)

Hospitality - Trouble (favourite track: Nightingale)

 

There's a lot of 2014 music that I'll probably discover next year. I just found out Siinai released a new album, and I really enjoyed their previous one; I haven't listened to the Son Lux one more than once yet (or two of them? apparently one is not on Deezer), or the one by Faust ...

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The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream

....

Tycho - Awake

 

Nice! I listened to both of these a ton this year :)

 

Other hightlights for me were:

Sharon Van Etten - Are We There

 

Tweedy - Sukierae

 

Caribou - Our Love

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