Year-End Critics' Polls 2014

Volna's 20 electronic tracks of the year. Pretty sure they're going to drag these lists out until Orthodox new year:

Andy Stott - Violence
Caribou - Our Love
Gesloten Cirkel - Submit X
Sophie - Hard
SBTRKT - Temporary View
Tal'nik - Tsvet Nadezhdi
AG Cook - Beautiful
Objekt - Ratchet
James Blake - 200 Press
Mr Mitch - Don't Leave
Actress - Rule
Cashmere Cat - Pearls
Porter Robinson - Sad Machine
Aphex Twin - CIRCLONT14 [152.97] [shrymoming mix]
Love Cult - I Smoke (Only When I’m Happy)
Skrillex feat. Chance the Rapper - Coast Is Clear
SD Laika - Great God Pan
Danny L. Harle - In My Dreams
Ivan Dorn - Tanets Pingvina
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - Any Fucking Thing You Love

Pitchfork's Top 25 Metal Albums

1 - Thou - Heathen
2 - Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden
3 - Yob - Clearing the Path to Ascend
4 - Tombs - Savage Gold
5 - Nux Vomica - Nux Vomica
6 - Blut aus Nord - Memoria Vetusta III: Saturnian Poetry
7 - Godflesh - A World Lit Only By Fire
8 - Woods of Desolation - As the Stars
9 - Indian - From All Purity
10 - Dead Congregation - Promulgation of the Fall
11 - Primordial - Where Greater Men Have Fallen
12 - Morbus Chron - Sweven
13 - Inter Arma - The Cavern
14 - Eyehategod - Eyehategod
15 - Diocletian - Gesundrian
16 - Agalloch - The Serpent & the Sphere
17 - Krieg - Transient
18 - Gridlink - Longhena
19 - Teitanblood - Death
20 - Atriarch - An Unending Pathway
21 - Mutilation Rites - Harbinger
22 - Wreck and Reference - Want
23 - Lantlôs - Melting Sun
24 - Thantifaxath - Sacred White Noise
25 - Planning for Burial - Desideratum

I'll never understand the Pallbearer love but it's not the worst list, I guess.

And Meat Mead Metal Top 40 (#1 and #2 yet to be revealed)

https://meatmeadmetal.wordpress.com

40. SONS OF CROM, “Riddle of Steel”
39. MARE COGNITUM, “Phobos Monolith”
38. BOTANIST, “VI: Flora”
37. BARGHEST, “The Virtuous Purge”
36. FISTULA, “Vermin Prolificus”
35. CRETIN, “Stranger”
34. DAWNBRINGER, “Night of the Hammer”
33. TAKE OVER AND DESTROY, “Vacant Face”
32. AGALLOCH, “The Serpent & the Sphere”
31. 1349, “Massive Cauldron of Chaos”
30. ALRAUNE, “The Process of Self-Immolation”
29. EARTH, “Primitive and Deadly”
28. LOTUS THIEF, “Rervm”
27. FEN, “Carrion Skies”
26. ANGUISH, “Mountain”
25. THANTIFAXATH, “Sacred White Noise”
24. THE OATH, self-titled
23. YOUNG AND IN THE WAY, “When Life Comes to Death”
23. YAITW, “When Life Comes to Death”
22. KRIEG, “Transient”
21. NIHILL, “Verderf”
20. FORESEEN HKI, “Helsinki Savagery”
19. WITCH MOUNTAIN, “Mobile of Angels”
18. MUTILATION RITES, “Harbinger”
17. OCCULTATION, “Silence in the Ancestral House”
16. WROUGHT IRON, “Rejoice and Transcend”
15. MENACE RUINE, “Venus Armata”
14. IMPETUOUS RITUAL, “Unholy Congregation of Hypocritical Ambivalence”
13. FALLS OF RAUROS, “Believe in No Coming Shore”
12. TRIPTYKON, “Melana Chasmata”
11. THE FLIGHT OF SLEIPNIR, “V.”
10. HORRENDOUS, “Ecdysis”
09. MORBUS CHRON, “Sweven”
08. MORTALS, “Cursed to See the Future”
07. PALLBEARER, “Foundations of Boredom”
06. BLUT AUS NORD, “Memoria Vetusta III: Saturnian Poetry”
05. PRIMORDIAL, “Where Greater Men Have Fallen”
04. BASTARD SAPLING, “Instinct Is Forever”
03. YOB, “Clearing the Path to Ascend”

Electronic Rumors: http://electronicrumors.com/2014/12/28/awards-the-electronic-rumors-awards-2014-best-album-electronic-rumors-top-20-albums-of-2014/

01: Ronika – Selectadisc
02: Tensnake – Glow
03: Todd Terje – It’s Album Time
04: Röyksopp & Robyn – Do It Again
05: Chromeo – White Women
06: Hercules And Love Affair – The Feast Of The Broken Heart
07: Shook – Spectrum
08: Mitch Murder – Interceptor
09: Mild Peril – Matter
10: Justin Faust – Spellbound
11: Lemonade – Minus Tide
12: Röyksopp – The Inevitable End
13: Queen Of Hearts – Cocoon
14: Ali Love – P.U.M.P.
15: Kid Machine – First Contact
16: The Juan MacLean – In A Dream
17: Xeno & Oaklander – Par Avion
18: Flight Facilities - Down To Earth
19: La Roux – Trouble In Paradise
20: Electric Youth – Innerworld

are you doing a noisy list this year whiney?

― Ottbot jr (NickB), Sunday, December 21, 2014 6:16 PM (1 week ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/20-best-avant-albums-of-2014-20141229

Very much enjoyed that list Chris. A much needed antidote to RS naming U2 the best bloody album of the year.

that Golden Retriever record is great, looking forward to checking some of the other ones out

Great list, Whiney! The Lescalleet/Drumm thing is otherworldly.

here's a few more than half that WGW list with everything Spotify has to offer on it:
http://open.spotify.com/user/forksclovetofu/playlist/6u44oIDidHRenk4dujfCk4

Jim Fusilli, WSJ
“Morning Phase” Beck
“Map to the Treasure: Reimagining Laura Nyro” Various Artists
“Wine Dark Sea” Jolie Holland
“The River & The Thread” Roseanne Cash
“Colfax” the Delines
“Passerby” Luluc
“Blue Dream” Orenda Fink
“You’re Dead!” Flying Lotus
“PTSD: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder” Pharoahe Monch
“Decimation Blues”, Castanets
“This Is My Hand” My Brightest Diamond
“Neuroplasticity” Cold Specks
“Multi_Viral” Calle 13
“Odludek”Jimi Goodwin
“Lost In The Dream” The War On Drugs

Wow, is that the first time RS has published a list like that?

Any Decent Music's Readers' albums of the year

On a related note, the general non-local lack of love for the latest Twilight Sad record astounds me. Sure I can see it being outside many of the top ten listings but not placing in most of the top 50's? Potentially the strong Scottish accent puts people off? Or maybe I'm horrendously overrating it. I can't tell.

I'm looking forward to the Dandelion Radio festive fifty - I don't tend to trust singles lists but they have been otm the last couple years. Makes me miss Peel counting it down though.

SoulTracks

PUBLISHER'S PICK - Brandon Williams: XII
EDITOR'S PICK - Jarrod Lawson: Jarrod Lawson

Bernhoft: Islander
Aloe Blacc: Lift Your Spirits
Mary J. Blige: The London Sessions
Traci Braxton: Crash & Burn
D’Angelo: Black Messiah
The Dangerfeel Newbies: Hariet
Cliff Dawson: Turn It Up
Shaun Escoffery: In the Red Room
Amp Fiddler: Basementality 2
Christian Gregory: Count on You EP
The Groove Association Ft. Georgie B: 3AM
Incognito: Amplified Soul
Michael Jackson: Escape
Leela James: Fall For You
Angela Johnson: Naturally Me
Kwabs: Pray for Love EP
Ledisi: The Truth
Loretta: Find A Way
Mali Music: Mali Is
Frank McComb: Live At The Bitter End (Remembering Donny Hathaway)
Portia Monique: Portia Monique
Gene Nobel: Rebirth of Gene
Sam Smith: In the Lonely Hour
Avery Sunshine: The Sunroom
Tank: Stronger
Michelle Williams: Journey to Freedom
Bryan Andrew Wilson: The One Percent

HONORABLE MENTION:

3 Winans Brothers: Foreign Land
Afro Elements: Out of the Centre
Akie Bermiss: Akie
Al Jarreau: My Old Friend: Celebrating George Duke
Alain Clark: Walk With Me
Algebra Blessett: Recovery
Ann Nesby: Living My Life
Anthony Valadez: In Search Of…
Ben L’oncle Soul: A coup de reves
Bo Saris: Gold
Bobby Caldwell: After Dark
brik.liam: ***mr. liam’s neighborhood
Broken Bells: After The Disco
Calvin Richardson: I Am Calvin
Carmen Lundy: Soul to Soul
Cheryl Barnes: Listen To This
Chris Jasper: The One
Chromeo: White Women
Club Nouveau: Consciousness
Cody ChestnuTT: Landing On A Hundred: B Sides & Remixes
Daley: Days & Night
Daniel Crawford: The Awakening
Dave Hollister: Chicago Winds
David Ryan Harris: Lightyears
DeRobert and the Half-Truths: I’m Tryin’
Dianne Reeves: Beautiful Life
Dominique Toney: A Love Like Ours
Electric Wire Hustle: Love Will Prevail
Elli Ingram: The Doghouse EP
Eric Lau & Taiwah: Love Call EP
Eric Nolan: Mood Swing
Faith Evans: Incomparable
Freda Payne: Come Back To Me Love
Full Force: Full Force With Love From Our Friends
Gabrielle Goodman: Spiritual Tapestry
Gene Van Buren: Still
George Tandy, Jr.: The Foundation
Gladys Knight: Where My Heart Belongs
Goapele: Strong As Glass
Jagged Edge: J.E. Heartbreak II
James Tillman: Shangri La EP
Jennifer Holliday: The Song Is You
Jennifer Hudson: JHUD
Jesse Boykins III: Love Apparatus
JMSN: JMSN
Joe: Bridges
Jordan Rakei: Groove Curse
KeKe Wyatt: Ke’Ke’ EP
Kelly Price: Sing Pray Love
KEM: Promise to Love
Kimbra: The Golden Echo
Kindred the Family Soul: A Couple Friends
Kwabs: Wrong or Right EP
Lake Street Dive: Bad Self Portraits
Laura Mvula: Laura Mvula with Metropole Orkest
Lee Fields: Emma Jean
Lil’ John Roberts: The Heartbeat
Luke James: Luke James
Mama’s Gun: Cheap Hotel
Mariah Carey: Me. I Am Mariah. The Elusive Chanteuse
Mario Biondi and The Unexpected Glimpses: Due
Marsha Ambrosius: Friends & Lovers
Meshell Ndegeocello: Comet, Come To Me
Moonchild: Please Rewind
Moses Sumney: Mid-City Island EP
Natasha Watts: Natasha Watts
Nate Williams: Got To Let Go
Rajdularli: Journey of a Woman
Raul Midon: Don’t Hesitate
Rogiérs: The Shedding
Ruthie Foster: Promise of a Brand New Day
Samuel Prather: Groove Orchestra
Sebastian Mikael: Speechless
Shaliek: Blood Sweat Tears
Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings: Give The People What They Want
Slakah The Beatchild: Soul Movement, Vol. II
Smoove & Turrell: Broken Toys
Soul Basement: Yesterday Today Tomorrow
SouLutions: Listen/Mr. Sun Don’t Hide EP
St. Paul and The Broken Bones: Half The City
SuCh: Trial and Error
Syleena Johnson: Chapter 6: Couples Therapy
Taylor McFerrin: Early Riser
Teri Tobin: Truth Is
Teyana Taylor: VII
The Revelations: The Cost of Living
Timothy Bloom: Timothy Bloom
Tony Braxton & Babyface: Love, Marriage and Divorce
Walter Christopher: The Mellisonant Album
Will Downing: Euphoria

i saw under the skin just recently and was struck by the soundtrack; really enjoying going back to it now

Yeah, we saw it about a week ago and had the same experience. At first, I was trying to figure out which Penderecki piece they were using; a little later, there was a beat behind it.

Dave MacIntosh, Scotland

1) Thunderlords: Rule the Stratosphere
2) Pinksinker: Maximum Break
3) Flat-Pack Granny: Golden Greats
4) Meatfeast: Extra Crispy
5) Fudclamp: Sketches of Swindon
6) Low Hangers: How's It Hanging?
7) Corrina Rizzla: Skin Me Up
8) Collapsible Christ: Fold
9) Stalkers: Where's Captain Quark?
10) Prang: Wrang
11) Munson: How to Be
12) Electrosexuals: Sex Electric!!!
13) Migraine: No Gain
14) Plague Station: A Rush of Rush to the Head
15) Bloodblister: Papercuts

not really a poll (and not 75 but 36, regardless of what the link suggests), but anyway:

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2014/12/the_best_noise_music_in_2014_the_years_top_75_noise_cuts.php

Whoa.

xp Rock-A-Rolla doesn't publish new issue until Jan 10, so I guess that's when the list will be out.

Mixmag:

50 Frank & Tony - You Go Girl
49 East India Youth - Total Strife Forever
48 Cooly G - Wait 'Til Night
47 Call Super - Suzi Ecto
46 The 2 Bears - The Night Is Young
45 Huxley - Blurred
44 Deadmau5 - While (1<2)
43 Gaiser - False Light
42 Ulterior Motive - The Fourth Wall
41 Tokyo Prose - Presence
40 Sable Sheep - Vagabond From Hell
39 Redinho - Redinho
38 Apollonia - Tour A Tour
37 Slam - Reverse Proceed
36 Kassem Mosse - Workshop 19
35 DJ Dodger Stadium - Friend of Mine
34 Andy Stott - Faith In Strangers
33 Vermont - Vermont
32 Fhloston Paradigm - The Phoenix
31 Perc - The Power And The Glory
30 The Bug - Angels And Devils
29 Chromeo - White Women
28 Answer Code Request - Code
27 Moire - Shelter
26 Actress - Ghettoville
25 Royksopp - The Inevitable End
24 Metronomy - Love Letters
23 Plastikman - Ex
22 Porter Robinson - Worlds
21 Rustie - Green Language
20 The Juan Maclean - In A Dream
19 Clark - Clark
18 Calibre - Shelflife 3
17 Taylor McFerrin - Early Riser
16 Above & Beyond - Acoustic
15 Tensnake - Glow
14 Childish Gambino - Because The Internet
13 Banks - Goddess
12 FKA Twigs - LP1
11 Flying Lotus - You’re Dead!
10 Lenzman - Looking At The Stars
9 SBTRKT - Wonder Where We Land
8 Technimatic - Desire Paths
7 Lone - Reality Testing
6 Leon Vynehall - Music For the Uninvited
5 Moodymann - Moodymann
4 Martyn - The Air Between Words
3 Todd Terje - It’s Album Time
2 Caribou - Our Love
1 Aphex Twin - Syro

NPR top 10 metal albums, unranked:

Gridlink, Longhena
High Spirits, You Are Here
Morbus Chron, Sweven
Origin, Omnipresent
Pallbearer, Foundations of Burden
Riot V, Unleash The Fire
Skull Fist, Chasing The Dream
Thou, Heathen
Triptykon, Melana Chasmata
Wo Fat, The Conjuring

same dude who compiled that also did this list of his favourite tracks, which is probably too personal to warrant inclusion here but did get me to listen to the (excellent) Unconscious Collective album just now

lars rules.

Noticing a lot of intriguing items here, esp. Whiney's picks (esp. esp. In C Mali, and maybe they'll get to Arthur Russell next). But, with this thread x my recent homework, starting to experience list blindness---gotta take a break.

not a list, but Aux.Out.'s EOY roundup comes out on new year's day. i have a few thoughts in there.

In Chrome, I look at get bent's post and hit refresh -- and the phrase "EOY" disappears from it!

strange, because i know i typed EOY before i hit post, and it doesn't show up on the page.

Captain Beyond Zen
http://captain-beyond.blogspot.de/2014/12/the-top-40-albums-of-2014.html

40. Ogre - The Last Neanderthal
39. Aleph Null - Nocturnal
38. Geezer - Gage
37. Mos Generator - Electric Mountain Majesty
36. Witch Mountain - Mobile of Angels
35. Blood Farmers - Headless Eyes
34. The Skull - For Those Which Are Asleep
33. Wo Fat - The Conjuring
32. Space God Ritual - From Void to Ocean
31. Cardinals Folly - Our Cult Continues!
30. Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden
29. Serpent Venom - Of Things Seen & Unseen
28. Limb - s/t
27. Druglord - Enter Venus
26. Grifter - The Return of the Bearded Brethren
25. Purple Hill Witch - s/t
24. The Order of the Solar Temple - s/t
23. Kröwnn - Magmafröst
22. Black Capricorn - Cult of Black Friars
21. Brimstone Coven - s/t
20. Bast - Spectres
19. Curse the Son - Psychache
18. Mothership - II
17. Electric Citizen - Sateen
16. Bloody Hammers - Under Satan's Sun
15. The Graviators - Motherload
14. Demon Eye - Leave the Light
13. Heat - Labyrinth
12. Ancient Warlocks - s/t
11. Spiral Shades - Hypnosis Sessions
10. Monolord - Empress Rising
9. Blues Pills - s/t
8. Howls of Ebb - Vigils of the 3rd Eye
7. YOB - Clearing the Path to Ascend
6. Dread Sovereign - All Hell's Martyrs
5. Electric Wizard - Time to Die
4. Wolf Blood - s/t
3. The Order of Israfel - Wisdom
2. Iron Void - s/t
1. Possessor - Electric Hell

That's a weird list - so many rekkids deserving higher props - The Skull, Wo Fat, SV, YOB, HoE, blues pills & a bunch of frankly boring records- demon eye, PHW, Blood Farmers. To each his own, I guess.

Spex (Germany): http://www.spex.de/2014/12/23/alben-des-jahres-2014-die-spex-charts/

1. Fatima Al Quadiri – Asiatisch
2. Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire for No Witness
3. Neneh Cherry – Blank Project
4. St. Vincent – St. Vincent
5. FKA Twigs – LP1
6. Mutter – Text und Musik
7. Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots
8. Parquet Courts – Sunbathing Animal
9. Warpaint – Warpaint
10. Sleaford Mods – Divide And Exit
11. Caribou – Our Love
12. Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 2
13. Flying Lotus – You’re Dead!
14. Vessel – Punish, Honey
15. Scott Walker & Sunn O))) – Soused
16. Arca – Xen
17. Alexis Taylor – Await Barbarians
18. Amen Dunes – Love
19. Richard Dawson – Nothing Important
20. Ja, Panik – Libertatia

If you look at the previous Captain Beyond Zen lists, they're historically quirky. But considering the vastness of how much is out there in those genres, I wouldn't consider anything making the top 40 as being underrated. I enjoyed giving that Wolf Blood a re-listen, but still a bit surprised with the Possessor showing.

Reckless Records Unofficial tally of staff lists
http://www.reckless.com/wordpress/?p=4809

1 Angel Olsen - Bury Your Fire For No Witness
2 Aphex Twin - Syro
3 Freddie Gibbs & Madlib - Pinata
4 Shellac - Dude, Incredible
5 Ex Hex - Rips
6 D’Angelo & the Vanguard – Black Messiah
7 Grouper - Ruins
8 Total Control - Typical System
9 Liars - Mess
10 Run The Jewels - RTJ2
11 Flying Lotus - You’re Dead!
12 Budos Band - Burnt Offering
13 Future Islands - Singles
14 War On Drugs - Lost In A Dream
15 Bitchin Bajas - Bitchin Bajas
16 Cloud Nothings - Here and No Where Else
17 Jefre Cantu-Ledesma - Songs Of Forgiveness
18 White Fence - For the Recently Found Innocent
19 King Tuff - Black Moon Spell
20 John Coltrane—Offering: Live At Temple University
21 Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty
22 Earth - Primitive and Deadly
23 Ty Segall - Manipulator
24 Sun Kil Moon - Benji
25 Floor - Oblation

I'm a little intrigued by seeing more things like the RS top 20 avant-garde list and the VV noise list and the Baltimore City Paper's avant-garde and classical lists. I feel like until recently, there was little coverage of avant-garde and new music outside specialist publications like The Wire. Is this a new trend or have I just been missing these? If the former, does it reflect greater accessibility of the music for journos via Internet streaming, e.g. Bandcamp, or does the avant-garde perhaps have some kind of new cachet?

I think it says more about me and Raymond

Hopefully it's the beginning of a trend (thank ya, Chris).

Maura let me start doing noise stuff when she was at the Voice, but props to Brian McManus for authorizing me to do the noise list for two years then do a column for the past one (and thanks to the current VV folks for letting me keep the column rolling).

I'm pretty sure I've seen Exclaim.ca publish lists like that before, I don't think they've done it this year though. Pitchfork has had Top Left-Field Albums or something like that as well. And NPR did one in 2012 at least.

Chris and Raymond definitely deserve credit. I just thought it was noteworthy that RS was willing to publish a list like this in 2014 when it doesn't seem like something they would have done previously.

For sure, MUCH respect due to Marc/Grayson at p4K who've been fighting that good fight for some time now.

As much as I'd love to help push some narrative about avant-garde music is penetrating mainstream culture, the simple, unsexy truth is I did this exact list at SPIN for two years when I worked there — but now I work at RS!

OK, was just wondering. I haven't followed these threads most years; that's why I asked the first question about whether this has been going on for a while.

personal list: http://1000timesyes.tumblr.com/post/106739224079/cleaning-out-my-closet-the-top-100-records-of

http://turntablelab.com/collections/turntable-lab-top-40-of-2014

This informal list was compiled by Turntable Lab employees. The list consists of records that TTL picked up in 2014: new releases, reissues, old-new-to-us titles, novelty records, etc. Many will probably be unavailable, at moment (holidays were craze), but sign up for Stock Emails if you're interested. Lastly, don't take this chart too seriously. Casey Kasem RIP.

Afisha Volna's poll of Russian critics and musicians' top 20 albums of the year doesn't deviate wildly from the international consensus. Nice to see Owen Pallett in there though.

20. Ibibio Sound Machine - Ibibio Sound Machine
19. SD Laika - That's Harakiri
18: The Soundcarriers - Entropicalia
17. Gesloten Cirkel - Submit X
16. Ratking - So It Goes
15. Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire With No Witness
14. Owen Pallett - In Conflict
13. The Bug - Angels & Demons
12. Sun Kil Moon - Benji
11. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2
10. D'Angelo - Black Messiah
9. Andy Stott - Faith in Strangers
8. Actress - Ghettoville
7. Todd Terje - It's Album Time
6. Dean Blunt - Black Metal
5. 4 Pozitsii Bruno - Ya Zakazan
4. Ariel Pink - pom pom
3. 3. Flying Lotus - You're Dead!
2. Ivan Dorn - Randorn
1. Caribou - Our Love

There is a separate list of the 20 best Russian albums which is a bit more interesting: http://volna.afisha.ru/sounds/20-luchshih-russkih-albomov-goda/

The Soundcarriers is pretty nice, psych with some Stereolab influence.

so...this Ian William Craig album is stunning. what thread do I bookmark so I catch its 2015 equivalent before mid-December? the Boomkat one?

aux.out.'s writers' poll is up. too much war on drugs for me, plus i don't like rtj2 as much as everyone else.

i contributed some answers. i hope i said some thoughtful things and introduced people to some good records.

http://consequenceofsound.net/aux-out/2014-aux-out-writers-poll-aka-philzz-jop-2/full-post/

weird -- once again, ilx is deleting words from my post. that was meant to say "writers' poll."

i can see that in your post, fwiw

it might be a chrome thing.

I think it is. (I'm using Chrome too.) The sentence said aux.out. poll when I clicked on the thread and more characters blinked into place as I watched. Now it says aux.out.'sters' poll -- weird.

And just now the first two letters disappeared from the word poll at the end.