Year-End Critics' Polls 2014

with regard to the superannuated wire cover star set, my private name for that genre (merzbow, jg thirlwell, maybe william bennett, assorted wonky jazz mavens etc) is avant-furniture or avant-furn

the sort of people who instinctively know how to stare obliquely into the middle distance when being photographed at a dutch angle next to a concrete building, comfortingly implacable, reliably difficult, reassuring references to bataille and schwitters, that sort of thing

difficult in the bloodyminded sense rather than esoteric, nothing could be less surprising or 'inaccessible' than a new michael gira joint in 2014

boo fader making a list and boo their lame excuse for starting to do so

xp man isn't it a bummer when things aren't edgy enough

I don't think that's what he's saying

I was quite disappointed with the Swans record compared to the two before it, I don't think I'm alone there

right there with you. Best resurrected Swans is still the first.

aw be kind to raccoon tanuki's sloppy seconds, the reliably dense new school landfill maven who is making ILM the place to be seen in december '14

it was a joke.

how was that not obvious?

uhhhh, the most recent kevin gates release aside from the one that hasn't dropped yet is called By Any Means. "posed to be in love" is a song on it

― just a couple of assholes having breakfast (slothroprhymes), Tuesday, December 9, 2014 4:31 PM (45 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

'no type' is also a song. it's not a ranking of albums but of musical artifacts iirc. anyway that's v clearly noz's list

my b. most of the other wire lists appeared to be such so i assumed, stand corrected

thats probably the closest in taste noz & i have been in some time

reliably dense new school landfill maven who is making ILM the place to be seen in december '14

glad you think of me as attracting that much attention. "reliably dense new school landfill maven?" p weak as far as zings go, even if the juxtaposition of maven and landfill is kinda sexy. wordplay-wise. but that's cute, though, you fapping over your authenticity like that as opposed to...what? my lack thereof? cool story, man.

christ alive who is this pleb

Speaking of Grumbling Fur, is there anywhere stateside to pick up that new one?

I don't think that's what he's saying

I was quite disappointed with the Swans record compared to the two before it, I don't think I'm alone there

― some kind of terrible IDM with guitars (sleeve), Tuesday, 9 December 2014 23:10 (23 minutes ago) Permalink

It's a good album, but it's no The Seer.

new swans was funnier and catchier than the previous couple. tbh i found those a bit of a chore - too many misshapen marching songs for grim-faced hobbledehoys. this one is fun! this one has songs that swing! i actually wanted to listen to it more than once

Yeah, I'll def vote for Sicko Mobb as well. Amazingly consistent tape. Fact had it on their top 100 2010-14 list as well.

― Frederik B, Tuesday, December 9, 2014 3:37 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i thought the tape was kinda underwhelming & i like sicko mobb ... sound quality was rough too

Aphex at #1 in the Wire list is a joke, surely?

It's the year of the joke #1s.

I'll say!

2014 seems to go down in history with either War on Drugs or Aphex at #1? I don't care about War on Drugs. I do care about Aphex, but c'mon, the retro trip of the long lost son as a number one album of 2014? By "progressive magazine" Wire? What year is this? 1994? Gtfo.

Heartening to see Shyne Coldchain 2 popping up all over

Wire list is much lazier than usual, weird. Though I remember reading about their polling process a few years ago - they don't have ranked ballots, so the winning album is simply the one that appears on the most ballots. Easy to see how boring consensus/canon picks can rise to the top that way.

Wire lists have been bad/boring for years and years. Remember when you'd pick up a December issue and you'd be like WHAT THE FUCK ARE THESE RECORDS then you'd hunt and find them and they'd mess you up?

batshit craziness from the Tabs Out list:

http://bromptreb.bandcamp.com/album/abuse-abandon-abort

damn: http://sprtthrn.bandcamp.com/album/nothingness

I'm kind of enjoying how little my list will have in common with any of these.

Anybody listen to the new Obituary album at the bottom of the Wire's avant rock list?

Aphex Twin is on a lot of lists, but I can't see it beating out War on Drugs. Ecscpecially when FKA Twigs and St. Vincent both seem to be doing quite well on a lot of lists.

Re: Apex Twin, it is kind of a perfect fit for The Wire, though....it's iconic, it got a very enthusiastic full page review by them, and it probable is in the wheelhouse of the things many of their different writers cover. That, with the non-weighted ballots suggests an easy #! place. Plus it's a fantastic album! It's as good a #1 as I've seen on any list.

I'm surprised that some of the electronic albums I would have thought would place weren't on the list, like Perc's The Power and the Glory, Untold's Black Light Spirals, Ben Frost's A U R O R A, Inga Copeland's Because I'm Worth It, Vessel's Punish, Honey, Mr Mitch's Parallel Memories, Andy Stott's Faith in Strangers, Joey Anderson's After Forever. They were all fantastic albums and received good reviews in the magazine iirc.

was happy to see Fatima al Qadiri's Asiatisch (a great, very underrated album imo), the Pharmakon album, the Shackleton EP, Michael Pisaro's 3 disc set, Oren Ambarchi, Call Super, Cooly G, Carla Bozulich, and Dean Blunt. Looking forward to hearing Steve Gunn's two entries, Annea Lockwood, AMM, Eliane Radigue, The Drumm/Lescalleet erstwhile disc, and some of the other avant classical pieces, as well as all of the other artists I've never even heard of.

Overall, with the exception of the top spot, I think it's an adventurous list and a good one, at least judging by all the others we've looked at

And I could probably say the same about the FACT list

PopMatters albums, 50-1:
50. Ex Hex - Rips
49. A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Sea When Absent
48. Sondre Lerche - Please
47. SOHN - Tremors
46. Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else
45. Prince - Art Official Age
44. Mike Farris - Shine for All the People
43. Lydia Loveless - Somewhere Else
42. Liars - Mess
41. Somi - The Lagos Music Salon
40. Damien Jurado - Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son
39. Shovels and Rope - Swimmin’ Time
38. Battle Trance - Palace of Wind
37. Lykke Li - I Never Learn
36. Andy Stott - Faith in Strangers
35. Allo Darlin’ - We Come From the Same Place
34. Todd Terje - It’s Album Time
33. The Afghan Whigs - Do to the Beast
32. Nickel Creek - A Dotted Line
31. Beck - Morning Phase
30. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
29. Leonard Cohen - Popular Problems
28. Banks - Goddess
27. The New Pornographers - Brill Bruisers
26. Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams
25. Scott Walker and Sunn O))) - Soused
24. Future Islands - Singles
23. Ty Segall - Manipulator
22. Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
21. Brian Eno and Karl Hyde - High Life
20. Freddie Gibbs and Madlib - Piñata
19. Sturgill Simpson - Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
18. Caribou - Our Love
17. Ben Frost - A U R O R A
16. Parker Millsap - Parker Millsap
15. Taylor Swift - 1989
14. Jenny Lewis - The Voyager
13. Old Crow Medicine Show - Remedy
12. Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire For No Witness
11. Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste
10. Spoon - They Want My Soul
9. Aphex Twin - Syro
8. FKA Twigs - LP1
7. The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
6. Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues
5. Swans - To Be Kind
4. St. Vincent - St. Vincent
3. Flying Lotus - You’re Dead!
2. Sun Kil Moon - Benji
1. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2

Digital Spy:
30. One Direction: FOUR
29. Foxes: Glorious
28. Caribou: Our Love
27. Tensnake: Glow
26. Katy B: Little Red
25. Iggy Azalea: The New Classic
24. FKA twigs: LP1
23. Jessie Ware: Tough Love
22. Jamie T: Carry on the Grudge
21. Jack White: Lazaretto
20. Ella Henderson: Chapter One
19. Calvin Harris: Motion
18. The Horrors: Luminous
17. St. Vincent: St. Vincent
16. alt-J: This Is All Yours
15. Ben Howard: I Forget Where We Were
14. Lana Del Rey: Ultraviolence
13. Sia: 1000 Forms of Fear
12. Todd Terje: It's Album Time
11. Ariana Grande: My Everything
10. Sky Ferreira: Night Time, My Time
9. Jungle: Jungle
8. Bombay Bicycle Club: So Long, See You Tomorrow
7. George Ezra: Wanted on Voyage
6. Paolo Nutini: Caustic Love
5. Ed Sheeran: x
4. La Roux: Trouble In Paradise
3. Royal Blood: Royal Blood
2. Taylor Swift: 1989
1. Sam Smith: In the Lonely Hour

Exclaim!
http://exclaim.ca/News/exclaims_best_of_2014-top_20_pop_rock_albums_part_two
1. Mac DeMarco - Salad Days
2. St. Vincent - St. Vincent
3. Owen Pallett - In Conflict
4. Alvvays - Alvvays
5. Swans - To Be Kind
6. White Lung - Deep Fantasy
7. Timber Timbre - Hot Dreams
8. The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
9. Future Islands - Singles
10. Tanya Tagaq - Animism
11. Ought - More Than Any Other Day
12. Sun Kil Moon - Benji
13. Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else
14. How to Dress Well - "What is This Heart?"
15. Beck - Morning Phase
16. Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire For No Witness
17. Real Estate - Atlas
18. Spoon - They Want My Soul
19. Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues
20. Perfect Pussy - Say Yes to Love

(oh shit, exclaim already done)

Ultimate Classic Rock - Best Albms of 2014
http://ultimateclassicrock.com/best-rock-albums-2014/

10 Stevie Nicks '24 Karat Gold: Songs from the Vault'
9 Slash 'World On Fire'
8 Bruce Springsteen 'High Hopes'
7 Pink Floyd 'The Endless River'
6 Ace Frehley 'Space Invader'
5 Judas Priest 'Redeemer of Souls'
4 Wilko Johnson and Roger Daltrey 'Going Back Home'
3 Robert Plant 'Lullaby and the Ceaseless Roar'
2 Tom Petty 'Hypnotic Eye'
1 AC/DC 'Rock or Bust'

they know their audience

Juno Plus - Top 50 Singles
http://www.junodownload.com/plus/2014/12/10/best-of-2014-top-50-singles/

Have we ever had a thread on what I think of as 'hangover acclaim'; ie. an artist's next record getting [possibly over / undue] praise in reviews and lists that seems like a hangover from the slow-burn success of their previous record?

The Obituary album is very good, but other death metal veterans put out better ones this year (Cannibal Corpse, and especially Incantation).

lol Ultimate Classic Rock list is pretty dignified all things considered, they even put Springsteen pretty low on the list and left off U2 entirely

also c'mon, where else are you gonna get blurbs like this:

With a whopping 77 minutes worth of new music, it's more like iPod on fire.

there's definitely a turn to the mystical going on in the world of ultimate classic rock with some of those album titles

going back home to the endless river lullaby and the ceaseless roar

The Quietus Mixes, Reissues, Compilations & Soundtracks Of The Year

ONE: Coil / NIN - Recoiled (Cold Spring)
TWO: Cyclobe - The Visitors (Phantomcode)
THREE: Gravenhurst - Flashlight Seasons/Black Holes In The Sand/Offerings (WARP)
FOUR: British Murder Boys - Box Set (Downwards)
FIVE: Annette Peacock - I Belong To A World That’s Destroying Itself (Ironic)
SIX: Perc & Truss - Live at Soenda (Soenda Festival Soundcloud)
SEVEN: Mdou Moctar - Anar (Sahel Sounds)
EIGHT: Mica Levi - Under The Skin (Milan Records)
NINE: Z AKA Bernard Szajner – Visions of Dune (InFiné)
TEN: CTI - Carter Tutti Remix Chris & Cosey (Conspiracy International)
ELEVEN: K. Leimer – A Period of Review (Original Recordings: 1975 – 1983) (RVNG Intl)
TWELVE: The Heads - Everybody Knows We Got Nowhere box set (Rooster)
THIRTEEN: Patrick Cowley and Jorge Socarras - Catholic (Dark Entries)
FOURTEEN: Karl Meier - Live at Aphotic Segment Detroit 8/2014 (KarlPMeier Mixcloud)
FIFTEEN: Joe Delia - Ms.45 (Death Waltz)
SIXTEEN: Manic Street Preachers - Holy Bible 20 (Sony)
SEVENTEEN: Omar Khorshid - Live In Australia 1981 (Sublime Frequencies)
EIGHTEEN: Wilco - Alpha Mike Foxtrot: Rarities 1994-2014 (Nonesuch)
NINETEEN: Sandra Electronics - Sessions (Minimal Wave)
TWENTY: Nana Love - Disco Documentary: Full Of Funk (Nestor)
TWENTY ONE: Sun Ra And His Arkestra - In The Orbit Of Ra (Strut Records)
TWENTY TWO: Swans - Filth (Mute)
TWENTY THREE: Harry Smith - The Anthology Of American Folk Music (Mississippi)
TWENTY FOUR: Nguzunguzu - Perfect Lullaby Vol. 2 DISmagazine Soundcloud)
TWENTY FIVE: Pan Sonic - Oksastus (Kvitnu)
TWENTY SIX: Elijah & Skilliam - Fabriclive 75 (Fabric Worldwide)
TWENTY SEVEN: Ennio Morricone - Lizard In A Woman’s Skin (Death Waltz)
TWENTY EIGHT: Various artists - Slowly Exploding: 10 Years Of Perc Trax 2004-2014 (Perc Trax)
TWENTY NINE: Savages & Bo Ningen - Words To The Blind (Stolen)
THIRTY: Various Artists - Hyperdub 10.1 (Hyperdub)THIRTY ONE: Surgeon - (Ambient Set) At Freerotation 2014 (Dynamic Tension Soundcloud)
THIRTY TWO: Francis Bebey - Psychedelic Sanza 1982 - 1984 (Born Bad)
THIRTY THREE: Hell - Trilogy (Pesanta Urfolk)
THIRTY FOUR: Mumdance - Dummy Mix 205 Mahraganat Mixtape (Dummy)
THIRTY FIVE: Fourth World Music Vol. 1: Possible Musics (All Saints)
THIRTY SIX: Various Artists - Suburban Base Records: The History of Hardcore, Jungle, Drum & Bass: 1991-1997 (New State)
THIRTY SEVEN: Various Artists - Haiti Direct: Big Band, Mini Jazz & Twoubadou Sounds 1960-1978 (Strut)
THIRTY EIGHT: These New Puritans - E-X-P-A-N-D-E-D Live at the Barbican (Vinyl Factory)
THIRTY NINE: Wild Beasts - FACT mix 427 (FACT)
FORTY: Imaginary Forces - June 2014 Mix (Entr'acte Mixes)
FORTY ONE: Alexander Tucker - Alexander Tucker (Thrill Jockey)
FORTY TWO: Various artists - Keysound Recordings Presents... Certified Connections (Keysound Recordings)
FORTY THREE: Various Artists - Horse Meat Disco 4 (Strut)
FORTY FOUR: Koen Holtkamp - Motion: Connected Works (Thrill Jockey)
FORTY FIVE: COUM Transmissions & John Lacey - Music For Stocking Top Swing and Staircase (Other Ideas)
FORTY SIX: Mogwai - Come On Die Young (Chemikal Underground)
FORTY SEVEN: Death - Spiritual Healing (Relapse)
FORTY EIGHT: Objekt - Live At Freerotation (Objekt Soundcloud)
FORTY NINE: The The - Soul Mining Box Set (Sony)
FIFTY: Circle - Hollywood (Ektro)
FIFTY ONE: Sleater-Kinney – Start Together Box Set (Sub Pop)
FIFTY TWO: William Onyeabor - Volume 2 box set (Luka Bop)
FIFTY THREE: Robert Hood – M Print: 20 Years Of M Plant Music (M Plant)
FIFTY FOUR: Mastodon - Call Of The Mastodon (Relapse)
FIFTY FIVE: Various Artists - Cambiare (Opal Tapes)
FIFTY SIX: Cairo Liberation Front - The Church Of The CLF (CLF Soundcloud)
FIFTY SEVEN: Cardiacs - Sing To God (Alphabet Business Concern)
FIFTY EIGHT: Cabaret Voltaire - #7885 (Electropunk To Technopop 1978-1985) (Mute)
FIFTY NINE: Bruno Nicolai - All The Colours Of The Dark (Finders Keepers)
SIXTY: GNOD - The Somnambulist’s Tale (Aguirre)
SIXTY ONE: V/A - Minor Characters Project (tqpc)
SIXTY TWO: Karen Gwyer - St. John’s Sessions x Boiler Room Live Set (Boiler Room)
SIXTY THREE: Koudede - Guitars From Agadez Vol. 7 (Sublime Frequencies)
SIXTY FOUR: Various artists - UP#22 This Dream Gave Me A Diagonal (Diagonal Records)
SIXTY FIVE: Various Artists - The World Is Yours (Bandcamp)
SIXTY SIX: Powell - Boiler Room London DJ Set (Boiler Room)
SIXTY SEVEN: Various Artists - Disco: A Fine Selection Of Independent Disco, Modern Soul And Boogie 1978 - 82 (Soul Jazz)
SIXTY EIGHT: Various Artists - A NoCorner Collection: From The Reels (NoCorner)
SIXTY NINE: Hailu Mergia And The Walias - Tche Belew (Awesome Tapes From Africa)
SEVENTY: Cosmin TRG - Mix 136 (Secret Thirteen)
SEVENTY ONE: Oneman, Kode9, Ikonika, Addison Groove - A Tribute to DJ Rashad (Boiler Room)
SEVENTY TWO: PYE Corner Audio - Black Mill Tapes 3 & 4 (Type)
SEVENTY THREE: Evian Christ - RA.404 Evian Christ (Resident Advisor)
SEVENTY FOUR: Caustic Window - Caustic Window LP (Rephlex)
SEVENTY FIVE: Craig Leon - Anthology of Interplanetary Folk Music Vol. 1: Nommos / Visiting (RVNGIntl.)
SEVENTY SIX: Various Artists - Gipsy Rhumba (Soul Jazz)
SEVENTY SEVEN: Sunroof! - Rock Action (Nashazphone)
SEVENTY EIGHT: Kahn, Neek, Hi5 Ghost and Boofy - The Lab (Mixmag)
SEVENTY NINE: Lunice - RA.432 Lunice (Resident Advisor)
EIGHTY: Helena Hauff & Daniele Cosmo - Lux Rec at Dampfzentrale (Lux Rec Soundcloud)
EIGHTY ONE: AnD - RA.389 AnD (Resident Advisor)
EIGHTY TWO: Clouds - Up North (ATTTKLFCO) (Bloc)
EIGHTY THREE: Various Artists - The Sound Of Siam 2 (Sound Way)
EIGHTY FOUR: William Basinski - Melancholia (Temporary Residence)
EIGHTY FIVE: Suede - Dog Man Star box set (Demon)
EIGHTY SIX: Various Artists - Science Fiction Park Bundesrepublik: German Home Recording Tape Music Of The 1980s (Finders Keepers)
EIGHTY SEVEN: Ingram Marshall - Fog Tropes/Gradual Requiem (Arc Light Editions)
EIGHTY EIGHT: Robert Wyatt - Different Every Time (Domino)
EIGHTY NINE: Gigi Masin - Talk To The Sea (Music From Memory)
NINETY: Chistie Azumah & The Uppers International - Din Ya Sugri (Voodoo Funk)
NINETY ONE: The Residents - Santa Dog (Superior Viaduct)
NINETY TWO: Baader Meinhoff - Baader Meinhoff (Cherry Red)
NINETY THREE: Ariel Kalma – An Evolutionary Music (Original Recordings 1972-1979) (RVNG INTL.)
NINETY FOUR: Rahsaan Roland Kirk - Spirits Up Above: The Anthology (Rhino)
NINETY FIVE: Grace Jones - Nightclubbing (Island)
NINETY SIX: Various Artists - Folk Music Of The Sahel: Niger (Sublime Frequencies)
NINETY SEVEN: Simian Mobile Disco - Whorl (ANTI-)
NINETY EIGHT: Ralph Jones - The Slumber Party Massacre OST (Death Waltz)
NINETY NINE: Mark Lanegan – Has God Seen My Shadow? Anthology (Light in the Attic)
ONE HUNDRED: Various Artists – Oriental-Trap Mix (Norient)

Reissues Chart Here

Any good EP-only lists out there?

2014′s Best Albums: Idolator Editors Pick Their Favorite 10
http://www.idolator.com/7573548/2014-10-best-albums-idolator

10. Tove Lo, Queen Of The Clouds
9. Vance Joy, Dream Your Life Away
8. Kiesza, Sound Of A Woman
7. Mariah Carey, Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse
6. Mary J. Blige, The London Sessions
5. Lana Del Rey, Ultraviolence
4. Tinashe, Aquarius
3. Leighton Meester, Heartstrings
2. Jessie Ware, Tough Love
1. BANKS, Goddess

really enjoying this list
http://www.wavelengthtoronto.com/wavelog/2014/12/100-essential-canadian-songs-2014
featuring a couple personal favs of the year of mine (odonis odonis & pypy (i guess i must really love repetitive band names this year))

Have we ever had a thread on what I think of as 'hangover acclaim'; ie. an artist's next record getting [possibly over / undue] praise in reviews and lists that seems like a hangover from the slow-burn success of their previous record?

There are loads!

pretty much every bloody arcade fire record ever after the first one fits that description

it's fairly common, yeah. i'd say the aphex has an element of this.