Top 10 of 2014

So we're almost to the halfway point of the year. What's impressed you so far...?

1. The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
2. Ghost Bath - Funeral
3. St. Vincent - St. Vincent
4. Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire for No Witness
5. Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
6. Hundred Waters - The Moon Rang Like a Bell
7. Swans - To be Kind
8. Tengger Calvary - Ancient Call
9. Sun Kil Moon - Benji
10. Musk Ox - Woodfall


HM: Perturbator - Dangerous Days; Warpaint- Warpaint; Wye Oak - Shriek; Woods of Desolation - As the Stars; Boris - Noise;

I'm behind on a lot of stuff, but any list I made would be topped by St. Vincent and The War on Drugs. Glenn Kotche's Adventureland would probably find a place somewhere as well.

i really love sharon van etten's album

No order yet but my ten favorites so far:

Betty Who - Slow Dancing EP
Chrome Sparks - Goddess
Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots
Phantogram - Voices
Royksopp & Robyn - Do It Again
Sia - 1000 Forms of Fear
Skrillex - Recess
Son Lux - Alternate Worlds
St. Vincent - St. Vincent
Tycho - Awake

This is starting to come together for me, I at least have a really solid top five:

1. St. Vincent - St. Vincent
2. The Swans - To Be Kind
3. Sun Kil Moon - Benji
4. The War on Drugs - Lost in a Dream
5. Sturgill Simpson - Metamodern Sounds in Country Music

1. FKA Twigs - LP1
2. Sun Kil Moon - Benji
3. Death Grips - Niggas On the Moon
4. Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Piñata
5. How to Dress Well - What Is This Heart?
6. Marissa Nadler - July
7. Mac DeMarco - Salad Days
8. Frankie Cosmos - Zentropy
9. Hundred Waters - The Moon Rang Like a Bell
10. Real Estate/Shabazz Palaces/Spoon

Anticipating:
Aphex Twin
Flying Lotus
Grouper
Rustie
D'Angelo?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Idioteque Stalker

Anticipating:
Aphex Twin

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Wait. Hold up. Time out.....Aphex Twin is coming out with a new album??????

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ivan Drago

Wait. Hold up. Time out.....Aphex Twin is coming out with a new album??????

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Damn straight. Announced it covertly with a blimp in London, now there's an Aphex Twin symbol outside of Other Music here in New York City. Needless to say, fuck yeah.

10) Atlas, Real Estate
9) Zentropy, Frankie Cosmos
8) They Want My Soul, Spoon
7) St. Vincent, S/T
6) "What Is This Heart", How to Dress Well
5) It's Album Time, Todd Terje
4) LP1 FKA Twigs
3) Becs, Fennesz
2) Benji, Sun Kil Moon
1) Platinum, Miranda Lambert

There's a ton of shit I still need to listen to. Top of my list is Shabazz, Brian Eno, Death Grips, Freddy Gibbs & Madlib. Also, I want to love the War on Drugs Album, but can't for the life of me see what makes this album special. Sounds like a fairly mediocre classic rock type album. What am I missing?

Well I've only listened to 6 albums so far this year. But I will surely have at least 15-20 by the end of the year. Nothing so far has reached 5 stars for me however.

1. Babymetal - Babymetal
2. Rise Against - The Black Market
3. Girls Generation - Mr.Mr. (EP)
4. Against Me! -- Transgender Dysphoria Blues
5. John Butler Trio - Flesh & Blood
6. Linkin Park - The Hunting Party

I am so far behind on new music, so I'll just throw out The War on Drugs, Parquet Courts and Real Estate in no particular order.

Songs:

1. Passing Out Pieces - Mac DeMarco
2. Up My Sleeves - Death Grips
3. Chandelier (Dev Hynes Remix) - Sia
4. Blue Suede - Vince Staples
5. Carissa - Sun Kil Moon
6. Pendulum - FKA Twigs
7. 2 Years On (Shame Dream) - How to Dress Well
8. Hard - Sophie
9. They Come In Gold - Shabazz Palaces
10. Dead City Emily - Marissa Nadler

HM: Seasons (Waiting On You) - Future Islands (dudes need to get a better producer--it killed live, and is a great song, but lost its punch on the record.)

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Originally Posted by quido8_5

Also, I want to love the War on Drugs Album, but can't for the life of me see what makes this album special. Sounds like a fairly mediocre classic rock type album. What am I missing?

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Belated reply, but I think it's largely about the texture and melodic elements. Yes, it's drawing from 1980's "classic rock" sources, which is never going to be as well-regarded as 1960-70s folk or rock inspirations, but the way that Granduciel lets each instrument breathe and get center stage is fascinating. It gets at the key character that I also find in stuff like like Haim and other purveyors who translate and transform rock conventions. And depending on your tolerance of Haim, that's either damning with faint praise or a legitimate compliment. All of Lost in the Dream has a seamless quality to it, and that sense is calming and meditative.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dreamdead

Belated reply, but I think it's largely about the texture and melodic elements. Yes, it's drawing from 1980's "classic rock" sources, which is never going to be as well-regarded as 1960-70s folk or rock inspirations, but the way that Granduciel lets each instrument breathe and get center stage is fascinating. It gets at the key character that I also find in stuff like like Haim and other purveyors who translate and transform rock conventions. And depending on your tolerance of Haim, that's either damning with faint praise or a legitimate compliment. All of Lost in the Dream has a seamless quality to it, and that sense is calming and meditative.

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That makes sense, thanks for the commentary. My Haim tolerance is pretty damn high and I tend to use Classic Rock as a complement- that's why I was genuinely curious about this one. Sounds like I need to spend more time with it.

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Originally Posted by quido8_5

Damn straight. Announced it covertly with a blimp in London, now there's an Aphex Twin symbol outside of Other Music here in New York City. Needless to say, fuck yeah.

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There hasn't been a lot of new music I've wanted to listen to this year........until THIS. The single from it that's been released is fucking awesome.

The only albums from this year that I've listened to and loved were Disclosure's new album, Skrillex's new album, and Royksopp & Robyn's release. I am excited for Interpol's new album, too!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Thirdmango

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Show Spoiler

1. Babymetal - Babymetal
2. Rise Against - The Black Market
3. Girls Generation - Mr.Mr. (EP)
4. Against Me! -- Transgender Dysphoria Blues
5. John Butler Trio - Flesh & Blood
6. Linkin Park - The Hunting Party

]

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1. Babymetal - Babymetal
2. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings - Give the People What They Want
3. Clean Bandit - New Eyes
4. Klaxons - Love Frequency
5. Gramitik - The Age of Reason
6. The Black Keys - Turn Blue
7. Royksopp and Robin - Do It Again
8. Rise Against - The Black Market
9. Girls Generation - Mr.Mr. (EP)
10. Against Me! -- Transgender Dysphoria Blues
11. John Butler Trio - Flesh & Blood
12. Linkin Park - The Hunting Party

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ivan Drago

There hasn't been a lot of new music I've wanted to listen to this year........until THIS. The single from it that's been released is fucking awesome.

The only albums from this year that I've listened to and loved were Disclosure's new album, Skrillex's new album, and Royksopp & Robyn's release. I am excited for Interpol's new album, too!

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Disclosure's album is 2013.

September update:

1. Sun Kil Moon - Benji
2. The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
3. Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
4. Hundred Waters - The Moon Rang Like a Bell
5. Ghost Bath - Funeral
6. Anathema - Distant Satellites
7. Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire for No Witness
8. Swans - To be Kind
9. Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty
10. Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden

HM: St. Vincent, Boris, The Atlas Moth, Wye Oak, Perturbator, Solstafir, Tengger Calvary, Woods of Desolation, Warpaint.

Been pleasantly surprised how well the Wye Oak album has aged, even if it's not on this list yet...

Have you guys been following Mark Kozelek's assholery lately? Guess he told War on Drugs to suck his dick at a concert. I saw him a few months ago in SF and his stage banter is just bizarre compared to how melancholy his songs are. Dude can still sing like an angel when he wants to though.

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Originally Posted by Pop Trash

Have you guys been following Mark Kozelek's assholery lately? Guess he told War on Drugs to suck his dick at a concert. I saw him a few months ago in SF and his stage banter is just bizarre compared to how melancholy his songs are. Dude can still sing like an angel when he wants to though.

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He's a notorious asshole.

Seen him be one many times.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pop Trash

Have you guys been following Mark Kozelek's assholery lately? Guess he told War on Drugs to suck his dick at a concert. I saw him a few months ago in SF and his stage banter is just bizarre compared to how melancholy his songs are. Dude can still sing like an angel when he wants to though.

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Is it bad that I don't mind if he's a total asshole as long as he can sing like an angel? I've been following his multiple self-implosions/puerile-explosions and find myself caring less and less. He's an asshole, he knows he's an asshole and he's eloquent when it counts. Most other times he's drunk. Which, I mean, ya' know...

Final List:

1. Sun Kil Moon - Benji
2. The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
3. Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
4. Hundred Waters - The Moon Rang Like a Bell
5. Ghost Bath - Funeral
6. Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire for No Witness
7. Swans - To be Kind
8. Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty
9. Restorations - LP3
10. Grouper - Ruins

RtJ's album has amazing production, but almost all of El-P's rapping is sophomoric in a way that reduces my ability to unreservedly embrace it. "Close Your Eyes" and "Early" are good, but everything above is the kind of thing that I could listen to at any time...