Year-End Critics' Polls 2014

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Noisey: http://noisey.vice.com/blog/noisey-staff-top-25-albums-of-2014--10-to-1

25. RUN THE JEWELS – RUN THE JEWELS 2
24. SHARON VAN ETTEN – ARE WE THERE
23. D’ANGELO AND THE VANGUARD – BLACK MESSIAH
22. WHITE LUNG – DEEP FANTASY
21. TAYLOR SWIFT – 1989
20. YG – MY KRAZY LIFE
19. MORBUS CHRON – SWEVEN
18. MORTUARY DRAPE – SPIRITUAL INDEPENDENCE
17. WILD BEASTS – PRESENT TENSE
16. UNITED NATIONS – THE NEXT FOUR YEARS
15. PUP – PUP
14. ANDY STOTT – FAITH IN STRANGERS
13. BLUT AUS NORD – MEMORIA VETUSTA III: SATURNIAN POETRY
12. ANGEL OLSEN – BURN YOUR FIRE FOR NO WITNESS
11. TOTAL CONTROL – TYPICAL SYSTEM
10. SYLVAN ESSO – SYLVAN ESSO
9. ILOVEMAKONNEN – ILOVEMAKONNEN EP
8. SAM HUNT – MONTEVALLO
7. DEJ LOAF – SELL SOLE
6. THE MENZINGERS – RENTED WORLD
5. INTERPOL – EL PINTOR
4. GROUPER – RUINS
3. ICEAGE – PLOWING INTO THE FIELD OF LOVE
2. AGAINST ME! – TRANSGENDER DYSPHORIA BLUES
1. RICH GANG – THA TOUR PART 1

mike t-diva, Monday, 22 December 2014 13:01 (nine years ago) link

Yet more Rhapsody.

Top 25 Jazz Albums of 2014
1) Trio 3, Wiring (feat. Oliver Lake, Reggie Workman & Andrew Cyrille)
2) Harold Mabern, Right on Time
3) Kris Davis, Waiting for You to Grow
4) Roscoe Mitchell, Conversations 2
5) Jason Moran, ALL RISE: A Joyful Elegy for Fats Waller
6) Miguel Zenón, Identities Are Changeable
7) Sean Jones Quartet, Im•pro•vise Never Before Seen
8) Arturo O'Farrill, The Offense of the Drum
9) Charlie Haden, Charlie Haden - Jim Hall
10) Jeff Ballard, Time's Tales
11) Wadada Leo Smith, Red Hill
12) Craig Handy, Craig Handy & 2nd Line Smith
13) Matthew Shipp, I've Been To Many Places
14) Jon Irabagon, It Takes All Kinds
15) Farmers by Nature (Gerald Cleaver, William Parker, Craig Taborn), Love and Ghosts
16) Ambrose Akinmusire, The Imagined Savior Is Far Easier to Paint
17) Paquito D'Rivera, Jazz Meets the Classics
18) Oliver Lake Organ Quartet, What I Heard
19) São Paulo Underground, Pharoah & the Underground - Spiral Mercury
20) Branford Marsalis, In My Solitude: Live at Grace Cathedral
21) Brad Mehldau, Mehliana: Taming the Dragon
22) Danilo Perez, Panama 500
23) Bernie Worrell, Phantom Sound Clash Cut-Up Method: Two
24) Darius Jones, The Darkseid Recital
25) Melissa Aldana, Melissa Aldana & Crash Trio

Top 25 Latin Albums of 2014
1) No Te Va Gustar, El Tiempo Otra Vez Avanza
2) Vetusta Morla, La Deriva
3) Calle 13, MultiViral
4) Vicentico, Último Acto
5) J Balvin, La Familia B Sides
6) Paco de Lucía, Canción Andaluza
7) Chancha Via Circuito, Amansara
8) Various Artists, Havana Cultura Mix: The Soundclash
9) Helado Negro, Double Youth
10) Andres Calamaro, Bohemio
11) Joan Manuel Serrat, Antología Desordenada
12) Los Tigres del Norte, Realidades
13) Enrique Iglesias, Sex and Love
14) Ana Tijoux, Vengo
15) Sonzeira, Brasil Bam Bam Bam
16) Ricardo Arjona, Viaje
17) Ismael Miranda, Son 45
18) Arturo O'Farrill, The Offense of the Drum
19) Lila Downs, Soledad Pastorutti, Nina Pastori, Raíz
20) Carlos Vives, Más + Corazón Profundo
21) Gaby Moreno, Posada
22) Marta Gómez, Coloreando
23) Farruko, Farruko Presents Los Menores
24) Jorge Drexler, Bailar en la Cueva
25) Various Artists, Cantinflas: Música Original de la Película

Top 20 R&B Albums of 2014
1) FKA Twigs, LP1
2) D'Angelo, Black Messiah
3) Trey Songz, Trigga
4) Tinashe, Aquarius
5) August Alsina, Testimony
6) Prince, Art Official Age
7) Mary J Blige, The London Sessions
8) Fatima, Yellow Memories
9) Mali Music, Mali Is…
10) Anderson Paak, Venice
11) K Michelle, Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart?
12) Pharrell Williams, G I R L
13) Toni Braxton & Babyface, Love Marriage & Divorce
14) Kem, Promise to Love
15) Sebastian Mikael, Speechless
16) Electric Wire Hustle, Love Can Prevail
17) Kelis, Food
18) George Tandy, Jr., The Foundation
19) Jesse Boykins III, Love Apparatus
20) Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Give the People What They Want

Top 25 Christian/Gospel Albums of 2014
1) Ellie Holcomb, As Sure as the Sun
2) Amy Grant, In Motion: The Remixes
3) MercyMe, Welcome to the New
4) Francesca Battistelli, If We're Honest
5) Jamie Grace, Ready to Fly
6) Casting Crowns, Thrive
7) Danny Gokey, Hope in Front of Me
8) Crowder, Neon Steeple
9) Switchfoot, Fading West
10) Steve Taylor & the Perfect Foil, Goliath
11) Colton Dixon, Anchor
12) For King & Country, Run Wild. Live Free. Love Strong
13) Needtobreathe, Rivers in the Wasteland
14) Rhett Walker Band, Here's to the Ones
15) Chris Tomlin, Love Ran Red
16) Elevation Worship, Only King Forever
17) Passion, Passion: Take It All
18) Hillsong Worship, No Other Name
19) Kari Jobe, Majestic
20) Michael W. Smith, Sovereign
21) Jesus Culture, Unstoppable Love
22) Anthony Evans, Real Life/Real Worship
23) Fred Hammond, I Will Trust
24) Tedashii, Below Paradise
25) Lecrae, Anomaly

xhuxk, Monday, 22 December 2014 14:11 (nine years ago) link

Baltimore City Paper's top ten:
http://www.citypaper.com/special/topten/bcp-top-10-nonlocal-albums-20141215,0,6654824.photogallery

1. YG, "My Krazy Life" (Def Jam)
2. Spoon, "They Want My Soul" (Loma Vista)
3. Swans, "To Be Kind" (Mute/ Young God)
4. Warpaint, "Warpaint" (Rough Trade)
5. Run the Jewels, "Run The Jewels 2" (Mass Appeal)
6. Tink, "Winter's Diary 2: Forever Yours" (self-released)
7. Arca, "Xen" (Mute)
8. Priests, "Bodies and Control and Money and Power" (Don Giovanni/Sister Polygon)
9. FKA twigs, "LP1" (Young Turks)
10. Sturgill Simpson, "Metamodern Sounds in Country Music" (High Top Mountain Records)

we also do a bunch of other lists

top ten reissues: http://www.citypaper.com/special/topten/bcp-top-10-album-reissues-gallery-20141215,0,1514216.photogallery

top ten local albums: http://www.citypaper.com/special/topten/bcp-top-10-local-albums-20141215,0,2514505.photogallery

top ten local singles: http://www.citypaper.com/special/topten/bcp-top-10-local-singles-20141215,0,1844220.photogallery

top ten in Baltimore club music: http://www.citypaper.com/special/topten/bcp-bpm-top-10-in-club-20141215,0,7978067.story

top ten in Baltimore hip hop: http://www.citypaper.com/special/topten/bcp-rap-sheet-top-10-in-hiphop-20141215,0,3758535.story

top ten in country: http://www.citypaper.com/special/topten/bcp-strum-und-twang-top-10-in-country-20141215,0,5362356.story

top ten in heavy music: http://www.citypaper.com/special/topten/bcp-bangers-and-thrash-top-10-in-heavy-music-20141215,0,290534.story

top ten in jazz and blues: http://www.citypaper.com/special/topten/bcp-blue-notes-top-10-in-jazz-and-blues-20141215,0,5701453.story

top ten in avant garde: http://www.citypaper.com/special/topten/bcp-booed-music-top-10-in-avantgarde-20141215,0,4583960.story

top ten in indie music: http://www.citypaper.com/special/topten/bcp-map-ref-39-n-76-w-dec-10-top-10-in-indie-music-20141215,0,7753207.story

top ten in classical: http://www.citypaper.com/special/topten/bcp-debussy-riot-top-10-in-classical-20141215,0,5699231.story

some dude, Monday, 22 December 2014 15:07 (nine years ago) link

dang, I really need to catch up on BMOP

the farakhan of gg (DJP), Monday, 22 December 2014 15:42 (nine years ago) link

The Obelisk Presents: The Top 30 of 2014
http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2014/12/22/the-obelisk-presents-the-top-30-of-2014/

Fastnbulbous, Monday, 22 December 2014 16:53 (nine years ago) link

Does anyone know a (good) Best Black Metal list of the year? I didn't follow it closely enough this year but would like to know what I missed and catch up.

a pleasant little psychedelic detour in the elevator (Amory Blaine), Monday, 22 December 2014 17:10 (nine years ago) link

Irish Times/Jim O'Carroll 50 Best Albums of 2014

(1) The Gloaming - The Gloaming (Real World)
(2) D'Angelo - Black Messiah (RCA)
(3) Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty (Sub Pop)
(4) Odesza - In Return (Counter)
(5) Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots (Parlophone)
(6) Neneh Cherry - Blank Project (Smalltown Supersound)
(7) Run the Jewels - RTJ2 (Mass Appeal)
(8) Call Super - Suzi Ecto (Houndstooth)
(9) Caoimhín O Raghallaigh/Dan Trueman - Laghdu (Self release)
(10) Godknows + MynameisjOhn - Rusangano Family (Self release)
(11) FKA Twigs - LP1 (XL)
(12) The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream (Secretly Canadian)
(13) Hurray for the Riff Raff - Small Town Heroes (ATO)
(14) Arca - Xen (Mute)
(15) Beck - Morning Phase (Capitol)
(16) Caribou - Our Love (City Slang)
(17) Perfume Genius - Too Bright (Matador)
(18) Valentin Stip - Sigh (Other People)
(19) Francis Harris - Minutes of Sleep (Scissor & Thread)
(20) Moire - Shelter (Werkdiscs)
(21) Chet Faker - Built On Glass (Future Classic)
(22) Clipping - Clppng (Sub Pop)
(23) Linda Perhacs - The Soul Of All Natural Things (Asthmatic Kitty)
(24) Lucius - Wildewoman (PIAS)
(25) Mirel Wagner - When the Cellar Children See the Light of Day (Sub Pop)
(26) Jungle - Jungle (XL)
(27) Lykke Li - I Never Learn (Atlantic)
(28) Sinkane - Mean Love (City Slang)
(29) Future Islands - Singles (4AD)
(30) Caoimhín O Raghallaigh - Music For An Elliptical Orbit (Diatribe)
(31) Sylvan Esso - Sylvan Esso (Partisan)
(32) Dorian Concept - Joined Ends (Ninja Tune)
(33) St Paul & The Broken Bones - Half the City (Single Lock)
(34) Toumani Diabaté & Sidiki Diabaté - Toumani & Sidiki (Nonesuch)
(35) Leonard Cohen - Popular Problems (Columbia)
(36) St Vincent - St Vincent (Republic)
(37) Kelis - Food (Ninja Tune)
(38) Jessie Ware - Tough Love (PMR/Universal/Island)
(39) Flying Lotus - You’re Dead (Warp)
(40) Perfect Pussy - Say Yes to Love (Captured Tracks)
(41) Little Dragon - Nabuma Rubberband (Because)
(42) Jennifer Evans - Works From the Dip & Foul (Delphi)
(43) Lethal Dialect - 1988 (Self release)
(44) GOAT - Commune (Sub Pop)
(45) Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste (Prospect Park)
(46) Tune-Yards - Nikki Nack (4AD)
(47) Daithi - In Flight (Sony)
(48) Dan Bodan - Soft (DFA)
(49) Fatima - Yellow Memories (Eglo)
(50) Hundred Waters - The Moon Rang Like A Bell (OWSLA)

ticket to rmde (seandalai), Tuesday, 23 December 2014 01:36 (nine years ago) link

shout out B'more City Paper for being on the right side of YG/RTJ

alpine static, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 02:14 (nine years ago) link

yeah i have to say i'm pretty proud of us being pretty much the only publication that voted My Krazy Life the album of the year (not even just hip hop album of the year, album of the year)

some dude, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 02:35 (nine years ago) link

i assume it will show up well in ilx poll

J0rdan S., Tuesday, 23 December 2014 05:20 (nine years ago) link

Resident Advisor top tracks:

01. Objekt – Ganzfeld
02. Traumprinz – All The Things
03. Floating Points – King Bromeliad
04. Gesloten Cirkel – Submit X
05. Mumdance – Take Time feat. Novelist
06. Marco Shuttle – Sing Like A Bird
07. SOPHIE – LEMONADE
08. Barnt – Chappell
09. Caribou – Can’t Do Without You
10. Moderat – Bad Kingdom (DJ Koze Remix)
11. Leon Vynehall – It’s Just (House of Dupree)
12. Herbert – One Two Three feat. Rahel
13. Jack J – Something On My Mind
14. Floorplan – Never Grow Old (Re-Plant)
15. DVS1 – Black Russian
16. Telephones – Blaff
17. Efdemin – Parallaxis (Traumprinz’s Over 2 The End Version)
18. Bruce – Not Stochastic
19. Moodymann – Lyk You Use 2 feat. Andrés
20. Leon Vynehall – Butterflies
21. Frank & Tony – Companion
22. Recondite – Caldera
23. QT – Hey QT
24. Aphex Twin – Minipops 67 (Source Field Mix)
25. Floating Points – Nuits Sonores
26. Theo Parrish – Footwork
27. Ten Walls – Walking With Elephants
28. Dopplereffekt – Delta Wave
29. FKA twigs – Two Weeks
30. Tessela – Rough 2
31. Daniël Jacques – End Of My World
32. Sailor & I – Turn Around (Âme remix)
33. Percussions – KHLHI
34. Donato Dozzy & Tin Man – Test 7
35. Daniel Avery – All I Need (Roman Flügel Remix)
36. Randomer – Huh
37. Andrew Ashong – Special
38. Edward – Skating Beats
39. Lnrdcroy – Sunrise Market (Extended Version)
40. Head High – Megatrap (Real Mix)
41. C.P.I. – Proceso (Barnt Remix)
42. Holly Herndon – Chorus
43. Shackleton – Freezing Opening Thawing
44. Kyle Hall – Our Love
45. Genius of Time – Juno Jam
46. Voices From The Lake – Velo Di Maya
47. The Bug – Function. feat Manga
48. 2 Bitches From Queens – Delkab Ave (Beat Mix)
49. Josh Wink – Are You There (Ben Klock Remix)
50. Omar-S – Frogs

Matt DC, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 11:32 (nine years ago) link

i'm having a very nice time going through the ones i haven't heard in that right now, "juno jam" is a banger

lex pretend, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 11:34 (nine years ago) link

You must have heard that one before? It was on the Talabot DJ Kicks mix last year.

Matt DC, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 11:40 (nine years ago) link

I like that Mumdance & Novelist track a lot but there's something profoundly lame about it appearing so far up this particular list.

Matt DC, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 11:40 (nine years ago) link

ok every track i hadn't heard before/didn't remember on this RA list is properly awesome - daniel jacques!!!!!!

(admittedly i am skipping everything related to l.i.e.s. and every incidence of the phrase "four tet alias" obv)

lex pretend, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 12:06 (nine years ago) link

and i hadn't got to "hey qt" which is my cue to abandon the list entirely

lex pretend, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 12:07 (nine years ago) link

randomer 'huh' is actually a lies banger, i was shocked to discover this year (thank q for sifting thru even idm toss)

horrible list

r|t|c, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 12:12 (nine years ago) link

The monthly Top 50 is the accumulation of all the charts listed on RA in the selected month.

This Top 50 tracks of 2014 poll is decided by the votes of RA staff members and current contributors.

¯\(°_o)/¯

r|t|c, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 12:19 (nine years ago) link

its a horrible way to listen to things, sifting through a list, but I'm finding this RA chart hard work

saer, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 12:22 (nine years ago) link

There's a Youtube playlist of some of it, I might just leave it on in the background and see what catches my ear, a lot of this hasn't registered much with me this year.

Matt DC, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 12:29 (nine years ago) link

I think I hate that Sailor & I/Ame remix - have they ever remixed anything with a decent vocal?

Matt DC, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 12:30 (nine years ago) link

My problem with curated lists is that with each passing bad record, the next one is tainted, and the cumulative effect is pretty strong. Add in the 'best records of the year" baggage and its not doing any of them any favours

saer, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 12:39 (nine years ago) link

^ I get this. Suddenly 'this artist' or 'that track' becomes 'a Pitchfork band' or 'a Fact track', and I don't really like thinking about music in this way at all.

this is just a saginaw (dog latin), Tuesday, 23 December 2014 12:44 (nine years ago) link

Nah I think it's more that when you're dutifully slogging through a lot of uninspiring music it puts you in the wrong frame of mind for the good stuff, give or take the occasional wow moment.

Matt DC, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 12:48 (nine years ago) link

I'll play 10 bad records on discogs and I think ok well they were just some random records on discogs, an 11th isnt tainted by the others

Play 10 bad records in a best of the year chart and i'm just waiting to get to the end of the exercise, and I dont need to hear the others enough to have that feeling

saer, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 12:51 (nine years ago) link

well you have to be in the right frame of mind, i'm multitasking and busy so it's ideal list-slogging time tbh

lex pretend, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 12:57 (nine years ago) link

also judicious skipping of shit you know you'll hate

lex pretend, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 12:58 (nine years ago) link

also i felt out of the loop with this sort of music this year so there isn't much annoyance that x/y/z isn't here instead as there is with the non-dance lists

apart from deep tech but i didn't exactly expect it anyway

lex pretend, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 12:59 (nine years ago) link

Irish Times Tracks
(1) Caribou - Can’t Do Without You (City Slang)
(2) Kiesza - Hideaway (Lokal Legend)
(3) Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting On You) (4AD)
(4) Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk (Columbia)
(5) Sheppard - Geronimo (Republic)
(6) Charli XCX - Break the Rules (Asylum)
(7) Perfume Genius - Queen (Matador)
(8) Meghan Trainor - All About That Bass (Epic)
(9) CuckooLander - Dumb Dee Diddy Dumb (Self release)
(10) Juce - Call You Out (Babeology)
(11) Shamir - If It Wasn't True (Godmode)
(12) Grimes - Go (4AD)
(13) Deers - Between Cans (Lucky Number)
(14) Jessie J - Bang Bang (Lava/Republic)
(15) Yumi Zouma - The Brae (Cascine)
(16) The Gloaming - Samhradh Samhradh (Real World)
(17) Fifth Harmony - Boss (Epic/Syco)
(18) Jessie Ware - Tough Love (PMR)
(19) Taylor Swift - Shake It Off (Big Machine)
(20) Jamie XX - All Under One Roof Raving (XL)
(21) Talos - Tethered Bones (Feel Good Lost)
(22) Nicki Minaj - Anaconda (Young Money)
(23) Clipping - Work Work (Sub Pop)
(24) Dej Loaf - Try Me (IBGM)
(25) D'Angelo - The Charade (RCA)
(26) The Juan Maclean - A Place Called Space (DFA)
(27) Ibeyi - Mama Says (XL)
(28) The Do - Trustful Hands (Siamese Squids)
(29) Honne - Warm On A Cold Night (Super)
(30) King - Mr Chameleon (King Creative)
(31) Royal Blood - Figure It Out (Warner Bros)
(32) Route 94 - My Love (Rinse)
(33) Jungle - Busy Earnin' (XL)
(34) Sia - Chandelier (Monkey Puzzle)
(35) QT - Hey QT (XL)
(36) Bobby Shmurda - Hot Nigga (GS9)
(37) iLoveMakonnen - Club Goin Up on a Tuesday (Self release)
(38) Sharon Van Etten - Your Love Is Killing Me (Jagjaguwar)
(39) Percussions - KHLHI (Text)
(40) Rae Sremmurd - No Flex Zone (Eardrummers)
(41) Roisin Murphy - Ancora Tu (Vinyl Factory)
(42) Röyksopp & Robyn - Do It Again (Dog Triumph/Wall Of Sound)
(43) Leon Vynehall - Goodthing (3024)
(44) Kendrick Lamar - i (Top Dawg)
(45) Sleater-Kinney - Bury Our Friends (Sub Pop)
(46) Andy Stott: - Faith in Strangers (Modern Love)
(47) FKA Twigs - Two Weeks (XL)
(48) Sinkane - Hold Tight (DFA)
(49) Swans - A Little God In My Hands (Young God)
(50) Beyonce - 7/11 (Columbia)

ticket to rmde (seandalai), Tuesday, 23 December 2014 13:17 (nine years ago) link

A Closer Listen's Global Top 20

1) A Winged Victory for the Sullen ~ Atomos (Erased Tapes)
2) Kate Carr ~ Lost in Doi Saket (Sound Map)
3) Erik K Skodvin ~ Flame (Sonic Pieces)
4) Valerio Tricoli ~ Miseri Lares (PAN)
5) Rumour Cubes ~ Appearances of Collections (Self-Released)
6) Christopher Tignor ~ Thunder Lay Down in the Heart (Western Vinyl)
7) This Will Destroy You ~ Another Language (Holodeck/Secretly Canadian/Suicide Squeeze)
8) Christina Vantzou ~ No. 2 (Kranky)
9) Petrels ~ Mima (Denovali)
10) Black to Comm ~ Providence (Dekorder)
11) Ian William Craig ~ A Turn of Breath (Recital)
12) Lawrence English + Stephen Vitiello ~ Fable (Dragon’s Eye Recordings)
13) Hiss Tracts ~ Shortwave Nights (Constellation)
14) Lawrence English ~ Wilderness of Mirrors (Room40)
15) Kyle Bobby Dunn ~ Kyle Bobby Dunn & the Infinite Sadness (Students of Decay)
16) Death Blues ~ Ensemble (Rhythmplex)
17) Matthew Collings ~ Silence is a Rhythm Too (Denovali)
18) Wrekmeister Harmonies ~ Then It All Came Down (Thrill Jockey)
19) P Jørgensen ~ Gold Beach (Low Point)
20) Pascal Savy ~ Adrift (Eilean Records)

More ACL lists:
http://acloserlisten.com/category/featured-articles/

Dinsdale, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 13:28 (nine years ago) link

am a fan of skodvin and english off that list

Ottbot jr (NickB), Tuesday, 23 December 2014 14:10 (nine years ago) link

nick what do you think of russell haswell's recent music

hmm, good question. i like the vigour of his sound and the variety of textures he conjures up, it's got a really energetic performative and improvisatory feel to it. first section off that collab with pain jerk that came out this year is just stunning - feels like your brain is locked within an electrified wire cage and every time you try thinking, that tiny movement brings it into contact with the bars and you get these shooting pains jolting across the surface of your mind. and i read about the thing he did at aldeburgh in some classical music blog and that sounded amazing: basically it was a choral performance of a 16th century work known as the earthquake mass, but the manuscript of this piece is in a state of severe decay and haswell was filling in the missing parts of the score with earthquake-appropriate room-shaking noise.

so yeah, i like him on the level of it being a fun thing to stick in yr ears, but otoh it never really gets past the level of raw sensation for me. it's kind of this really tactile set of sounds that never quite becomes a language that communicates anything outside of itself. i suppose you could say this makes him a more honest artist as he doesn't rely on any emotional trickery - his music doesn't hold those intimations of deeper significance that you get with the likes of kevin drumm or tim hecker or lawrence english, there's no interpretation to be done on the part of the listener, it's more of a pure wyhiwyg sensory thing. and maybe that just frustrates my ego cos there's no ambiguity to project my own meaning on to, it's just sound waves that don't give a fuck about what i think of it. which is cool in its own way but doesn't really affect me beyond that. i'm sorry but this is just how i feel.

Ottbot jr (NickB), Tuesday, 23 December 2014 14:43 (nine years ago) link

Shindig! Magazine
http://www.shindig-magazine.com/2014-awards.html

1. Temples - Sun Structures (Heavenly)
2. Foxygen - And Star Power (Jagjaguwar)
3. The Soundcarriers – Entropicalia (Ghost Box)
4. Jim Noir - Finnish Line (Dook Stereo)
5. Balduin - All In A Dream (Sunstone)
6. Ariel Pink - Pom Pom (4AD)
7. Graham Day & The Forefathers - Good Things (Own Up)
8. Big Boss Man - Last Man On Earth (Blow Up)
9. Jaki Liebezeit & Joachim Irmler – Flut (Klangbad)

Fastnbulbous, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 15:00 (nine years ago) link

i read about the thing he did at aldeburgh in some classical music blog and that sounded amazing: basically it was a choral performance of a 16th century work known as the earthquake mass, but the manuscript of this piece is in a state of severe decay and haswell was filling in the missing parts of the score with earthquake-appropriate room-shaking noise.

This must be Brumel, it's beautiful & I'd be v curious to hear that although I'd about the concept

ogmor, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 15:41 (nine years ago) link

_idk_ about the concept, rather

ogmor, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 15:42 (nine years ago) link

yep, it was brumel. and i've done it a disservice in my description, i think it was probably a bit more thought through than i made it sound

Ottbot jr (NickB), Tuesday, 23 December 2014 16:06 (nine years ago) link

Get in here, goons

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/40-best-rap-albums-of-2014-20141223

Whiney G. Weingarten, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 16:09 (nine years ago) link

great list, whiney. "In a year this messed up, even the idea of eating Ruffles in peace was welcome escapism," does like every year end blurb need an oblique reference to this "messed up" year? it seems like a pretty weak way of adding gravitas to a blurb. and like, for whom was eating ruffles escapism from whatever political misery this is ref'ing?

Mordy, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 16:23 (nine years ago) link

if they were utz chips it would've been so much better for escaping the sociopolitical miseries of american life imo, or goldfish

bandwagon mavs fan because rondo (slothroprhymes), Tuesday, 23 December 2014 16:27 (nine years ago) link

like idk ferguson, staten island, IS, crimea, malaysian flights, whew thank god for mac miller!

Mordy, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 16:30 (nine years ago) link

it's a pretty simple point about the small joys of banality in rap music, here we even have an entire thread about it rap music's memorable banalities

J0rdan S., Tuesday, 23 December 2014 16:33 (nine years ago) link

lol ok sure

Mordy, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 16:34 (nine years ago) link

it's an insular and closed off mixtape, that it seems unconcerned w/ much beyond its own lil world is a large part of his appeal

it's a very easy concept to understand :-/

J0rdan S., Tuesday, 23 December 2014 16:40 (nine years ago) link

XLR8R's Best of 2014
http://www.xlr8r.com/features/2014/12/xlr8rs-best-2014-releases-15-1

30. Lockah - Yahoo or the Highway
29. Forma Cool - Haptics
28. Anthony Naples - TTT026
27. Caribou - Our Love
26. Claude Speed - My Skeleton
25. Clark - Clark
24. Juju & Jordash - Clean-Cut
23. Teebs - E S T A R A
22. Traumprinz - All the Things
21. Aphex Twin - Syro
20. John Barera & Will Martin - Graceless
19. Jordan GCZ - Digitalis
18. Vermont - Vermont
17. Vessel - Punish, Honey
16. Suzanne Kraft - Missum
15. Session Victim - See When You Get There
14. Gunnar Haslam - Mirrors and Copulation
13. Young Marco - Biology
12. Hieroglyphic Being - The Seer of Cosmic Visions
11. Steffi - Power of Anonymity
10. Head High - Megatrip
9. Terekke - Terekke
8. Objekt - Flatland
7. Todd Terje - It's Album Time
6. Barnt - Magazine 13
5. Jack J - Looking Forward To You
4. Gesloten Cirkel - Submit X
3. Leon Vynehall - Music for the Uninvited
2. Kassem Mosse - Workshop 19
1. Call Super - Suzi Ecto

Ottbot jr (NickB), Tuesday, 23 December 2014 16:50 (nine years ago) link

not a bad list there

karl...arlk...rlka...lkar..., Tuesday, 23 December 2014 17:25 (nine years ago) link

That Session Victim album has some wonderful moments.

xelab, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 17:27 (nine years ago) link

05. Mumdance – Take Time feat. Novelist

this is my kinda shit, glad to see it on some lists. i can never find much uk bass in this particular vein and ilx doesn't help either, maybe i'm not digging hard enough idk. anybody up for a collaborative spotify playlist?

cock chirea, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 17:32 (nine years ago) link

thanks nick

Enterprise Lesotho (nakhchivan), Tuesday, 23 December 2014 20:27 (nine years ago) link

xp Yeah, another first place for Gigi Masin!

doug watson, Tuesday, 23 December 2014 20:29 (nine years ago) link


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