Year-End Critics' Polls 2014

what's good about him is he is able to not take the dopey rock he likes seriously, what's bad is that he takes the time to argue why it "matters" in a macro sense aside from him liking it.

IMHO not taking his subjects entirely seriously makes him lose steam mid-article in those long pieces he writes. It's like he lacks the drive for such long arguments. Everytime I read him I start with some degree of enthusiasm, then get bored sometime around the tenth paragraph.

not that fka twigs has no r&b dna in her, but she was totally right when she said that if she was white there'd be a lot less of that talk

― lex pretend, Tuesday, December 16, 2014 11:52 AM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

the problem is that we dont consider white ppl who do that kind of music R&B, not the other way around

what, like björk?

banks is definitely considered r&b, more or less, and not just in that RS list (and is also most assuredly white). if twigs was white i'd still think the rhythmic core of her sound was more r&b/hip-hop than like, bjork.

BUT, i see why twigs would say that. she has also expressed frustration with the "alt r&b" label, i believe

fka twigs is extremely static rhythmically

i dont listen to bjork but like grimes or bat for lashes or w/e, it's all R&B

banks being considered r&b is also a bit confusing to me, just seems like trip-hop redux x synthy pop

grimes and bat for lashes are not r&b!

if twigs was white i'd still think the rhythmic core of her sound was more r&b/hip-hop than like, bjork.

― franch montana (slothroprhymes), Tuesday, December 16, 2014 5:59 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

rhythmically the closest comparison to lp1 is vespertine imo

the problem is that we dont consider white ppl who do that kind of music R&B, not the other way around

― deej loaf (D-40), Tuesday, December 16, 2014 12:55 PM (6 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

How did we ignore the great white R&B albums of 2014 like HOW TO DRESS WELL and ROBIN THICKE'S PAULA

bat for lashes is called r&b??? not prima facie a bad thing but i've never heard that

the new how to dress well album sucks

if its pop music and its not polka in the woods eating weinerschnitzel its black american music. in the catholic sense of R&B, it's R&B. I'm not sure I see the purpose of fighting against that classification

I couldn't believe How to Dress Well he basically teed up music writers for the 'Shit Sandwich' reviews and no one took the bait

in that they didn't call it the shit sandwich it was?

(bc many certainly did not and in fact did the exact opposite)

if its pop music and its not polka in the woods eating weinerschnitzel its black american music. in the catholic sense of R&B, it's R&B. I'm not sure I see the purpose of fighting against that classification

this is not the definition that a top 20 R&B albums list is working with!

I think Whiney means the album is "What Is This Heart?" and they could have said "What is This Shit?"

like the Spinal Tap joke

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

*slaps forehead for missing joke, reminds self to watch this is spinal tap again soon*

in that case, IRL lols

this is not the definition that a top 20 R&B albums list is working with!

― example (crüt), Tuesday, December 16, 2014 12:18 PM (3 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

if its not R&B it can also be rock or rap or house/techno but like ... what is FKA twigs then? "its kinda like bjork" is not a genre rolling stone will do a yearly list for

or is it ~beyond genre~ lol

Where would they list Bjork or The xx? Putting her in an R&B list is tying her up in one strand of her music.

i kinda feel like xx is R&B and bjork is not but i don't really know why

http://www.prooffreader.com/2014/12/most-decade-specific-words-in-billboard.html
just putting this here

just put her in "alternative" or something

uncles used to be really popular

i like the march toward drooglike from "blues pal sweetheart rose" to "yeah hell fuck die"

Noisey/Vice France - allez les Sleafords!
http://noisey.vice.com/fr/blog/les-20-meilleurs-disques-de-2014

20. HAVE A NICE LIFE The Unnatural World
19. ALKPOTE L'Orgasmixtape
18. C.A.R. My Friend
17. FOREVER PAVOT Rhapsode
16. TAULARD Les Abords Du Lycée
15. HIGH-FUNCTIONING FLESH High-Functioning Flesh
14. BODY COUNT Manslaughter
13. LUST FOR YOUTH International
12. KAARIS Or Noir Part. II
11. OBITUARY Inked In Blood
10. CHEVEU Bum
09. LEWIS L'Amour
08. JUICY P Certifié Vrai 2 : La Plakette
07. IRON REAGAN The Tyranny Of Will
06. CULT OF YOUTH Final Days
05. SUN KIL MOON Benji
04. JESSICA 93 Rise
03. COLD WORLD How The Gods Chill
02. PEINE PERDUE No Souvenir
01. SLEAFORD MODS Divide And Exit

i think we're legit progressing with more fuckwords in song titles

The Quietus Top 20 Metal Albums Of 2015

1. Yob - <i>Clearing The Path To Ascend</i></b><br> (Neurot)
2. The Body - I Shall Die Here (RVNG International)
3. Sólstafir - Ótta (Season Of Mist)
4. At The Gates - At War With Reality (Century Media)
5. Floor - Oblation (Season Of Mist)
6. Old Man Gloom - Ape Of God (Profound Lore)
7. Electric Wizard - Time To Die (Spinefarm/Witchfinder Records)
8. Godflesh - A World Lit Only By Fire (Avalanche)
9. Nothing - Guilty Of Everything (Relapse)
10. Triptykon - Melana Chasmata (Century Media)
11. 11Paranoias - Stealing Fire From Heaven (Ritual Productions)
12. Bong - Stoner Rock (Ritual Productions)
13. Trap Them - Blissfucker (Prosthetic)
14. Full Of Hell + Merzbow - Full Of Hell + Merzbow (Profound Lore)
15. Witch Mountain - Mobile Of Angels (Svart)
16. Bongripper - Miserable (Great Barrier Records)
17. Vampillia - Some Nightmares Take You Aurora Rainbow Darkness(Candlelight)
18. Prizehog - Re-Unvent The Whool (Eolian Empire)
19. Slomatics - Estron (Head Of Crom)
20. Coffinworm - IV .I. VIII (Profound Lore)

Go 90s and list FKA twigs under "Dope beatz/downtempo"

Nice Quietus list, glad to see some love for that Bong record.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/20-best-edm-electronic-and-dance-albums-of-2014-20141216

party don't stop

list party

ain't no party like a list party party cause a list party party is pedantic

asiatisch is the album i have had to bitch about most in DMs this year

first mention of duck sauce! which i found quite enjoyable

asiatisch is the album i have had to bitch about most in DMs this year

― lex pretend, Tuesday, December 16, 2014 2:42 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i wish you would be better at not using gendered language, lex. your sexism on this board is unbearable

why on earth would lex be too shook to be publicly opinionated about a record and keep it in DMs

Not exactly a critics poll, but hey

Top 10 Most Watched Music Videos in Nigeria on Youtube for 2014

http://www.afrobeatsindacity.com/

1. Davido – Aye (Official Video)
2. Mavins – Dorobucci ft Don Jazzy, Tiwa Savage, Dr SID, D’Prince, Reekado Banks, Korede Bello, Di’Ja
3. Nicki Minaj – Anaconda
4. Tiwa Savage – Wanted [Official Video]
5. Flavour – Ikwokrikwo [Official Video]
6. Dr SID – Surulere ft Don Jazzy (Official Video)
7. Yemi Alade – Johnny
8. Davido ft Mafikizolo – “Tchelete (Goodlife)” (Official Video)
9. P Square – Taste the Money (Testimony) [Official Video]
10.Patoranking – Girlie ‘O’ Remix [Official Video] ft. Tiwa Savage

Lol I looked at that and thought "that magazine has good taste"

xp (1) Why do you hate Asiatisch? (2) Why do you have to confine the hate to DMs?

i think asiatisch is boring and redundant in its clueless art-school rendering of something non-existent; it relies too much on a dull concept which is also slightly problematic and in terms of music FAQ sells herself way short.

i don't hate it enough to talk about it much (can't remember much of it apart from the gimmicky "nothing compares 2 u" cover) but people who are more integrated in that electronic scene have slid into my DMs many times whenever i've obliquely snarked, mostly to expand on how problematic it is to hear wealthy oil money x NYC art school privilege trying to sell grime back to us

i think FAQ is potentially an interesting musician and i've loved some of her stuff in the past but asiatisch was not the one and future brown will be even more not the one next year

<3 that afrobeats list for chucking "anaconda" in there!

"I like Nicki, her yansh is bigger" iirc

Have any Afrobeats tracks appeared on critics lists here?

I'm currently listening to a bunch of the Fader's list and they have Davido (plus a Ugandan track "Jambole" which has an insanely delightful video)

Rhapsody's Top 50 Albums of 2014 (Taylor Swift not eligible because you can't stream her there.)

1) Miranda Lambert, Platinum
2) Flying Lotus, You're Dead!
3) St. Vincent, St. Vincent
4) FKA twigs, LP1
5) Sturgill Simpson, Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
6) Run the Jewels, Run the Jewels 2
7) tUnE-yArDs, Nikki Nack
8) Azealia Banks, Broke with Expensive Taste
9) Lana Del Rey, Ultraviolence
10) The War on Drugs, Lost in the Dream
11) Angaleena Presley, American Middle Class
12) Beck, Morning Phase
13) Various Artists, Haiti Direct: Big Band, Mini Jazz & Twoubadou Sounds, 1960-1978
14) Pharmakon, Bestial Burden
15) Sleaford Mods, Chubbed Up+
16) Neneh Cherry, Blank Project
17) Charlie Haden, Charlie Haden / Jim Hall
18) Aphex Twin, Syro
19) Parquet Courts, Sunbathing Animal
20) Spoon, They Want My Soul
21) Eric Church, The Outsiders
22) Caribou, Our Love
23) YG, My Krazy Life
24) The Lions, This Generation in Dub
25) Grouper, Ruins
26) Jack White, Lazaretto
27) No Te Va Gustar, El Tiempo Otra Vez Avanza
28) Black Space Riders, D:REI
29) The Pretty Reckless, Going to Hell
30) Leonard Cohen, Popular Problems
31) Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, Piñata
32) Tinariwen, Emmaar
33) Angel Olsen, Burn Your Fire for No Witness
34) Trio 3 & Vijay Iyer, Wiring
35) August Alsina, Testimony
36) Moodymann, Moodymann
37) Jenny Lewis, The Voyager
38) Serengeti, Kenny Dennis III
39) Sunny Sweeney, Provoked
40) Popcaan, Where We Come From
41) Ray LaMontagne, Supernova
42) Seattle Symphony Orchestra, John Luther Adams: Beyond Ocean
43) Calle 13, MultiViral
44) Electric Wizard, Time to Die
45) Roscoe Mitchell, Conversations II
46) Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Give the People What They Want
47) Wadada Leo Smith, Red Hill
48) Shabazz Palaces, Lese Majesty
49) La Roux, Trouble in Paradise
50) Little Dragon, Nabuma Rubberband

Top 25 World Albums Of 2014

1) Various Artists, Haiti Direct: Big Band, Mini Jazz & Twoubadou Sounds
2) Orlando Julius, Jaiyede Afro
3) Noura Mint Seymali, Tzenni
4) Popcaan, Where We Come From
5) Aby Ngana Diop, Liital
6) Hailu Mergia, Tche Belew
7) L'Orch First Moja-One, Vol. 2: More Pili
8) Tinariwen, Emmaar
9) Verckys/Orchestre Vévé, Congolese Funk Afrobeat & Psychedelic Rumba
10) Ana Tijoux, Vengo
11) Quantic, Magnetica
12) Etienne Mbappe, Bombay Makossa
13) The Lions, This Generation in Dub
14) Francis Bebey, Psychedelic Sanza
15) Sidiki Diabaté, Toumani & Sidiki
16) Ibibio Sound Machine, Ibibio Sound Machine
17) Various Artists, Gipsy Rhumba: The Original Rhythm of Gispy Rhumba in Spain
18) Golem, Tanz
19) Mamani Keïta, Kanou
20) Kasai Allstars, Beware the Fetish (Congotronics 5)
21) Fantasma, Eye of the Sun
22) Majid Bekkas, Al Qantara
23) Tony Allen, Film of Life
24) Tsigunz Fanfara Avantura, Turbo Balkan Groove
25) Africa Express Presents ...Terry Riley's in C Mali

Top 25 Electronic Albums of 2014

1) Flying Lotus, You're Dead!
2) FKA twigs, LP1
3) Caribou, Our Love
4) Arca, Xen
5) DJ Koze, Reincarnations, Pt. 2 - The Remix Chapter 2009-2014
6) Felicita, Frenemies
7) Objekt, Flatland
8) Call Super, Suzi Ecto
9) Untold, Black Light Spiral
10) Actress, Ghettoville
11) M. Geddes Gengras, Ishi
12) Aphex Twin, Syro
13) The Juan MacLean, In a Dream
14) Röyksopp, The Inevitable End
15) Evian Christ, Waterfall EP 16) Mark E, Product of Industry
17) Function & Vatican Shadow, Games Have Rules
18) Daniel Lanois, Flesh and Machine
19) Royksopp & Robyn, Do It Again
20) Lawrence English, Wilderness of Mirrors
21) Protect-U, Free USA
22) Downliners Sekt, Silent Ascent
23) Peder Mannerfelt, Lines Describing Circles
24) Moodymann, Moodymann
25) Fennesz, Bécs

Top 25 Pop Albums of 2014

1) Neneh Cherry, Blank Project
2) Katy B, Little Red
3) Jason Derulo, Talk Dirty
4) Röyksopp & Robyn, Do It Again
5) Nick Jonas, Nick Jonas
6) Ariana Grande, My Everything
7) Sia, 1000 Forms of Fear
8) One Direction, FOUR
9) Iggy Azalea, The New Classic
10) Tove Lo, Queen of the Clouds
11) Shakira, Shakira
12) Sam Smith, In the Lonely Hour
13) Kylie Minogue, Kiss Me Once
14) Ed Sheeran, X
15) Jessie J, Sweet Talker
16) La Roux, Trouble in Paradise
17) Maroon 5, V
18) Jessie Ware, Tough Love
19) Ingrid Michaelson, Lights Out
20) Company Freak, Le Disco Social
21) Lily Allen, Sheezus
22) 5 Seconds of Summer, 5 Seconds of Summer
23) Cher Lloyd, Sorry I'm Late
24) Akdong Musician, Play
25) Meghan Trainor, Title

More Rhapsody.

Top 25 Rock Albums of 2014

1) Jack White, Lazaretto
2) Foo Fighters, Sonic Highways
3) Chevelle, La Gárgola
4) Royal Blood, Royal Blood
5) Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Hypnotic Eye
6) Gary Clark Jr., Live
7) Ray LaMontagne, Supernova
8) Pink Floyd, The Endless River
9) Benjamin Booker, Violent Shiver
10 Bruce Springsteen, High Hopes
11) Linkin Park, The Hunting Party
12) Stevie Nicks, 24 Karat Gold: Songs From The Vault
13) Hozier, Hozier
14) The Pretty Reckless, Going To Hell
15) Crobot, Something Supernatural
16) Wilko Johnson / Roger Daltrey, Going Back Home
17) California Breed, California Breed
18) Crosses (†††), Crosses (†††)
19) The New Basement Tapes, Lost On The River
20) Rival Sons, Great Western Valkyrie
21) Blues Pills, Blues Pills
22) Slash, World On Fire
23) Black Pistol Fire, Hush Or Howl
24) U2, Songs Of Innocence
25) Hiss Golden Messenger, Lateness Of Dancers

Top 25 Metal Albums of 2014 (I'll take the blame for this one.)

1) Black Space Riders, D:REI
2) Edguy, Space Police, Defenders of the Crown
3) Mausoleum Gate, Mausoleum Gate
4) Mekong Delta, In a Mirror Darkly
5) Stallion, Rise and Ride
6) Grand Magus, Triumph and Power
7) Steel Prophet, Omniscient
8) The Pretty Reckless, Going to Hell
9) Hirax, Immortal Legacy
10) Evil United, Honored by Fire
11) Nigromante, Black Magic Night
12) The High Spirits, You Are Here
13) Spiders, Shake Electric
14) Battleroar, Blood of Legends
15) The Shrine, Bless Off
16) Noneuclid, Metatheosis
17) Wolf, Devil Seed
18) Electric Wizard, Time to Die
19) Witch Mountain, Mobile of Angels
20) Dinner Music for the Gods, Beautiful and Treacherous
21) Bigelf, Into the Maelstrom
22) Slough Feg, Digital Resistance
23) Dark Forest, The Awakening
24) Myrkur, Myrkur
25) Morbus Chron, Sweven

Top 20 Alt/Indie Albums of 2014

1) St. Vincent, St. Vincent
2) Pharmakon, Bestial Burden
3) tUnE-yArDs, Nikki Nack
4) Jenny Lewis, The Voyager
5) Parquet Courts, Sunbathing Animal + Content Nausea
6) Gerard Way, Hesitant Alien
7) Against Me!, Transgender Dysphoria Blues
8) Spoon, They Want My Soul
9) Angel Olsen, Burn Your Fire for No Witness
10) La Dispute, Rooms of the House
11) Lana Del Rey, Ultraviolence
12) Swans, To Be Kind
13) Owen Pallett, In Conflict
14) Temples, Sun Structures
15) F*cked Up, Glass Boys
16) The War on Drugs, Lost in the Dream
17) Tokyo Police Club, Forcefield
18) Weezer, Everything Will Be Alright in the End
19) Karen O, Crush Songs
20) Beck, Morning Phase

More genres to come, I assume.