ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2014

Slight pet peeve, but "I don't like j-pop", like "I don't like American pop", doesn't mean anything.

People who dig Khun Narin's mixture of 'world' music and psych could do worse than check out The Dur Dur Band release from last year. Not really the same thing at all, but I really like this.

This was a great year for instrumental albums

http://i.imgur.com/YnSsgU0.jpg

64 THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS Brill Bruisers [269 points, 10 votes, 2 first place votes]

more like Water Treaders

i love that cover to bits but have never got anything else about this band

Nah, this was a good record...best one since Twin Cinema...but in the end I realized I just didn't care as much now as I did ten years ago.

OK back to Theo then. The tracks linked above are all seriously good. Is it all programmed? Painstaking stuff if so.

Ha! I'm lukewarm on this album, but I've seen plenty of good to great live shows by them. The anti-indie hatred here seems kind of outdated, and not a little creepy.

I could hang with a full disc of Theo (listening now), good stuff.

Surprised to see 2 first place votes. Good album, but spotty. Best of the year?

Wait did that Theo Parrish album come out really late in the year or just with minimal fanfare? I missed it completely.

Have to admit when I saw that cover I was like "oh word Common made the list?"

man I hadn't paid NP much mind after Twin Cinema but this album really sucked me back in and I am super regretful I didn't see them when they toured

Cher Lloyd was my summer (should have been everyone's) and I'm overjoyed she managed to outshine her debut. Haven't even given Theo Parrish that many spins yet, but he quickly transcended artists I've been playing all year. The Warpaint album sounds great, but not much else to it.

I caught NP on the tour around the time of their debut and it kicked alllllll kinds of ass - that period (debut + TC) was when they were at their peak. Since then? There have been....moments of greatness.

This Theo album is pretty great so far. Hadn't heard of it prior to voting...I can see how it would have shaken up my list a bit.

People who dig Khun Narin's mixture of 'world' music and psych could do worse than check out The Dur Dur Band release from last year. Not really the same thing at all, but I really like this.

Definitely agree about that Dur Dur Band album. Doesn't sound anything like Khun Narin but really great.

will never forgive TNPs for the youtube war on the east coast ads

OK I had tuned out the NPs since twin cinema as well but this is sounding very good as of track 2

voted for this one, thought it was surprisingly strong

brill bruisers is a big step down from their peak but still has 4 or 5 really great songs.

the title track and the neko songs are all bangers but i could never find myself listening to it with any frequency after a couple times through

Wait did that Theo Parrish album come out really late in the year or just with minimal fanfare? I missed it completely.

Theo came out mid December, I'm pretty sure. Love it, but certainly haven't digested it yet. Second of my votes to place (Call Super the other one so far).

http://i.imgur.com/p9hqgae.jpg

63 LEON VYNEHALL Music for the Uninvited [271 points, 13 votes]

it's good but theo should have placed higher

Now this one I really couldn't get into, although I did like 'Butterflies'.

It's okaaaayyyyy. I like the first track with the strings a lot most of the rest is kind of boring.

first of mine to place

Alllllllmmmmmmmmost voted for Ought. Maybe that was my only shot at placing something and I fucked it up.

Apropos as the guy next to me on the bus currently is inside the deku tree in his DS zelda game

Damn, I just realized Aphex Twin is gonna win, isn't he? There hasn't been an Aphex albums released during ILM's EOY poll era, so punters must've had a huge suppressed aphexgasm just waiting to erupt into votes. Blah.

No

actually tuomas, good news, pete namlook is going to win

aphex at #11 imo

Aphex will place high (like top 10), but will not win.

FKA twigs or T. Swift will win.

Aphex seems like a lock for top 10 but 1 is unlikely

d'angelo will win imo

Richard D Awson to beat his near-namesake mebbe

I love the vynehall record but wouldn't argue with ppl who find it boring

gave it a few votes iirc but i liked some of the tracks a lot more than others. personal favourite is goodthing: http://youtu.be/ZP7oy6O7hrU

i should've voted
sorry :(

http://i.imgur.com/ftpAthH.jpg

62 DEAN BLUNT Black Metal [272 points, 9 votes]

Thought this was a good album but it didn't really stick with me.

I can't make heads or tails of this (though I only started listening to it for the first time ten minutes ago).

Track titles are great. I'm really hoping now it sounds like Lush meets 50 Cent.

there's something impressive about how similar all his records sound regardless of the sounds he uses

I tried to listen to that album but couldn't make it halfway through.

I don't like the ALL CAPS naming convention for tracks, but I shouldn't let that blind me. This is fine.

This sounds like something a friend would record and then play for you and you have to say nice things about it because he's your friend but down inside you and he both know it's not very good.