ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2014

more bobbins on the albums thread than in the tracks poll

Much of the heralded bobbins material I've sampled this year has been a bit too "tracky", both in construction and intent as DJ tools. Past EOY bobbins have made more concessions to song form.

Voted for: Mica Levi, Ninos Du Brasil, Warpaint
Pleased to see: Babymetal, Noura Mint Seymali, Call Super
Discovered: Khun Narin

Ehhh that's ok I never got that into it, maybe I should give it another shake.

― The Reverend, Monday, January 26, 2015 3:04 PM (24 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah ditto for pinata

interesting start for sure, didn't vote for any of 'em

Albums results are much better than singles so far.

Havent heard any of them so far and im on a train with no headphones, so its already a more pleasant experience. I own some records by one of the artists! tho not the one featuring here, which I havent heard, he lost me a while back though:(

Voted for: Mica Levi, Ninos Du Brasil
Pleased to discover: Khun Narin, Babymetal, Noura Mint Seymali

Oh, and I voted for Dean Blunt.

Khun Narin seems like a wild choice, when and where was this discussed?

I own some records by one of the artists! tho not the one featuring here, which I havent heard, he lost me a while back though:(

― saer, Monday, January 26, 2015 1:33 PM Bookmark

Theo?

oops, forgot to say who, but yes Theo

no thread for ขุนนริทร์ศิลป์พิณประยุกต์ (Khun Narin's Electric Phin Band)?

listened to bits of khun narin and noura mint seymali over dinner, enjoyed them all but utterly lack the grounding in their contexts to make any qualitative judgments

shocked @ my own ballot for apparently leaving off theo parrish - there were about 10 albums that kept moving in and out of the last 5 spots and it seems on the day i submitted, theo moved out and leon vynehall moved in. if i was making it now theo would be way up the list because that album is endlessly engrossing; vynehall just pushed my tasteful breezy summer house buttons - i find his productions smooth in just the right way, those tasteful strings on "inside the deku tree" and "be brave, clench fists". glad they both made it.

absolutely hated the music dean blunt made as part of hype williams, he has also inspired a lot of bad writing that makes me want to listen to him even less.

i have had the freddie gibbs album in my itunes for months without being moved to play it, it sort of has this dusty air of ~real hip-hop for j dilla fanboys about it whereas i would rather have rae sremmurd and junglepussy in my life.

I can confirm that the Call Super album does indeed sound fantastic on a big system, really intricately textured and pretty but with some serious low end at the same time.

Most intrigued about the Noura Mint Seymali and Khun Narin albums though.

it sort of has this dusty air of ~real hip-hop

lol I admit this being the reason why I like it so much.

"no thread for ขุนนริทร์ศิลป์พิณประยุกต์ (Khun Narin's Electric Phin Band)?"

A thread title that's completely logical and yet it's also clear why I never clicked on it.

i have had the freddie gibbs album in my itunes for months without being moved to play it, it sort of has this dusty air of ~real hip-hop for j dilla fanboys about it whereas i would rather have rae sremmurd and junglepussy in my life.

Vibe is sort of dated, like something that would have sounded brilliant 10 years ago. Feel the same way about RTJ.

it used to have the rather inscrutable title "no thread for ขุนนริทร์ศิลป์พิณประยุกต์ ?" xp

Voted for Cher Lloyd; I like the Future album but recognise its flaws. I love "Butterflies" and need to hear the rest of the Vynehall album; ditto Ninos du Brasil after the tracks poll.

Couple of things I've never heard of popping up which is nice to see!

Predicting that D'Angelo wins in a landslide.

i almost never click on threads with the 'why isn't there a thread for ____?' titles, i don't know why but they annoy me

xxp There's also: Psychedelic Rock that's not Psychedelic Rock

Wowwwwwwwwww Sturgill is way low. A lot of these are way lower than I expected. Pouring ones out for Menace Ruine, Botanist, Torn Hawk, and Earth...

i almost never click on threads with the 'why isn't there a thread for ____?' titles, i don't know why but they annoy me

― ciderpress, Monday, January 26, 2015 4:49 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

the first couple times they happened they were incredibly obnoxious, but when they happen now i tend to assume they're knowing parodies of the form

What? No thread for MAGIC!?

Voted for Khun Narin and Warpaint. Sturgill and Noura Ment Seymali were near-misses for my ballot

i think botanist will still place- am i deluding myself?

Voted for Khun Narin and Real Estate (even though Atlas not as strong as their previous albums). Cher Lloyd just missed the cut.

I kinda wish ขุนนริทร์ศิลป์พิณประยุกต์ had played my wedding.

Think I voted for Mica Levi, v cool to see it turn up

xxp There's also: Psychedelic Rock that's not Psychedelic Rock

― Lee626, Monday, January 26, 2015 1:51 PM (17 minutes ago)

yeah, that was the thread that first got me all het up abt thee electric phin. esp this video right here.

completely agree with everyone who has said the Khun Narin Youtubes outshine the album (though the album is great too!)

Isn't the first track the same as one of the youtubes?

Menace Ruine may well still place. Botanist certainly will. Relax!

I was briefly in love with that Freddie Gibbs album throughout the summer, but I didn't end up voting for it.

I wasn't impressed with the indie stuff on here tonight, it was pure rote worthless dogshit. I mean the NP's and Real Estate - gimmee a fucking break! Ought were just more inconsequential, grinding dullness.

Fantastic first day. Bunch of new things I hadn't heard and already really enjoy: NMS, Call Super and Warpaint.

leon vynehall is my only vote to make it so far, beautiful album, one that i think a lot of people who aren't normally into house might like. the theo parrish probably would've made it given another few months to digest it, but so far "be in yo self" is the only track that i love on it. i really like the call super, but i don't think i love it, just missed by ballot, i'll keep listening and i suspect it will click in a different way eventually. khun narin just missed by ballot. i like cher lloyd's "bind your love" and i'm kind of intrigued, but i'm not sure if i could get into an album of emo balladry. real estate is an indie band that doesn't annoy me at all, quite pleasant in fact, i like that they don't come off as try-hards and they seem to know their own strengths.

shit honest & benz friends alone make the future album a classic imo

i also voted for warpaint - it grew on me when i relistened to it after nominations started, idk its still more background-ish to me than their earlier stuff

Pull up at this girl's crib bumpin Lil Boosie yeah

― 龜, Tuesday, May 6, 2014 8:26 AM (8 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

77 BABYMETAL Babymetal
Love Gimme Chocolate but missed this happening this year. Will happily tuck into this album at some point and if that track is indicative, I'm sure I'll enjoy it.
76 CHER LLOYD Sorry I'm Late
Just recently got through this one; I don't care much for her as a vocalist. There's a standout track or two; I can ride for "Bind Your Love".
75 MICA LEVI Under the Skin: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Voted for this; loved the movie and was so taken with the visuals I overlooked the tracks. Spent at least a week listening to this more or less nonstop. Lygeti-lite and very insectile. Recommend "Death" as the best route in.
74 NOURA MINT SEYMALI Tzenn
I work with people who got Noura out and about and saw her live this year. She's dope. Like the album but mostly for vibin' out.
73 REAL ESTATE Atlas
It ain't me man.
72 CALL SUPER Suzi Ecto
Never heard of this; looking forward to a spin or two.
71 STURGILL SIMPSON Metamodern Sounds in Country Music
Voted for it and surprised this was so low! I listened to a fair amount of pop and trad country this year and this was as good as anything in that vein; if it's this year's token country name drop it's not because it's not deserving.
70 NINOS DU BRASIL Novos Mistérios
New to me but the representative track on the singles poll was great so high hopes.
69 OUGHT More Than Any Other Day
Never heard of it. Will try.
68 WARPAINT Warpaint
I feel like I tried this album at some point and it didn't click? Willing to try again.
67 FUTURE Honest
Fell completely in love with Pluto and had perhaps unrealistically high expectations for this. Move That Dope is about timeless; I will also rep for My Momma, Honest, I Be U and Benz Friendz. Plus he put Big Rube on so I can't be too snarky.
66 KHUN NARIN Khun Narin's Electric Phin Band
This has been sitting on my desk in shrinkwrap for months! I suppose I need to open it.
65 THEO PARRISH American Intelligence
I was aware this album dropped but I have limited exposure to Parrish and no immediate quick access (this is the only album thus far in the countdown not on spotify). I will find it.
64 THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS Brill Bruisers
Never been a fan and doubt this is gonna change things but I'll try.
63 LEON VYNEHALL Music for the Uninvited
Glancingly familiar with this guy and a skim of the tracks is very rewarding... I think I'll be thankful to y'all later.
62 DEAN BLUNT Black Metal
Never heard of him, unsure what to make of this. Will report back.
61 FREDDIE GIBBS & MADLIB Piñata
Played this heavily and enjoyed it quite a bit but have a lil' bit of LOL OLD anxiety about riding too hard for it. That said, Deeper / High / Harold's / Bomb / Shitsville / Thuggin / Robes / Broken / Knicks / Piñata are all excellent and while I didn't vote for it, Pinata was only just outside the ballot. YAY OLD

"Redeemer" and "Stone Island" by Dean Blunt were my favourite records of that year, go get on them. "Black Metal" is... not great on the surface but framed as a "major label debut pisstake" (I think?) it is pretty good

Pull up at this girl's crib bumpin Lil Boosie yeah

― 龜, Tuesday, May 6, 2014 8:26 AM (8 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

― johnny crunch, Monday, January 26, 2015 8:21 PM (49 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

that reminds me, if Honest barely scraped its way in then Life After Deathrow doesn't stand a chance :/

re: gibbs/madlib, madlib still sounds interesting and fresh in a field where nearly everyone has has gone completely stale, and i think that should count for something. not a fan of RTJ tho.

i don't think i'll ever understand that perspective where the style of the music matters more than what it actually sounds like.

My favorite of this batch is the Vynehall.

Mine is probably Ninos du Brasil, and I imagine by the time I actually take it out to my car and listen to it while driving that appreciation will quadruple.

^ My favorite too, in ahead of Freddie Gibbs, Ought, Khun Narin and Mica Levi.

Of what I heard for the first time today, Nora Mint Seymali and Call Super are the most promising. Sturgill Simpson's nice, too.

No: Babymetal, Dean Blunt, New Pornographers.

A lot of folks repping "Honest", but I wanna 2nd forks & the Rev on "Benz Friends". Love that track so much, esp Andre's verse, being lol/yay old an everthing. Listened to it on repeat for quite a while when first getting into the album.

dammit, "benz friendz", do so much of my typing on autopilot :/

I think it's kinda interesting that out the 17 albums so far, only Ninos du Brasil has also show up in the tracks list. It's not unusual that with rock music people are more likely to vote for albums than tracks from said albums, but the same seems to apply to techno/house and rap and pop albums on the list too, which is a bit surprising. Are people just more likely to vote for different stuff (one-hit wonders, tracks that didn't get a particularly good album to accompany them) in the tracks poll?

If i like say 3 or less tracks on an album then I dont think of it as an album it just a record with some other tracks on it that i never play. If there's more than that on it I like then I guess I start to think of it as an album

there are only around 12 of these in existence

Future placed in both didn't he?

Oh yeah, forgot about that.

wow great start so far, my #1, #3 and #6 already placing.
voted cher lloyd number one, every single track on that album just grabs me, and every time i listen to it i find myself enjoying it over and over. the finale, 'alone with me' i probably repeat five times over when the album finishes.
also voted dean blunt and sturgill simpson high.
babymetal and ought were both on my longlist, think i was planning on throwing a tracks vote to gimme chocolate but it fell a bit shy too.
voted 'sombra da lua' over the record but absolutely fantastic to see ninos du brasil place on both polls.
most of the rest that has placed so far i had enjoyed but wasn't near voting for, except for the theo parrish and mica levi records, neither of which have i heard so will be checking them out.
cheers ilm and JF!