ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2014

my #12! i think the pre-release reaction to this was similar to Jessie Ware in that people were starting to seemingly panic that it was going to be mediocre or lowering their own expectations but i thought it was really good.

god WHO IS gigi masin?!? this is spectacular music, easily the most impressive board upside my head of the albums rollout so far. sincere thanks to everyone who voted for this.

Since I've not said it before can I say I the cover of the Katy B album is lovely. I got almost as much out of staring at it IRL as the music on the CDs.

Mixed version > unmixed blah blah

i think the pre-release reaction to this was similar to Jessie Ware in that people were starting to seemingly panic that it was going to be mediocre or lowering their own expectations but i thought it was really good.

― LIKE If you are against racism (omar little), Tuesday, January 27, 2015 11:24 AM (17 seconds ago)

jessie ware was one of the best things about the singles rollout, but katy b still misses me every time

hope ian william craig's "a turn of breath" places

katy b is definitely more an acquired taste for some i guess. this isn't as good as the Jessie Ware album which i think is just about as good as 'Devotion'.

katy b! i was initially disappointed by this album. horribly sequenced, a step down from her impeccable debut...i rarely actually create alternate track listings but rearranging (and judicious deleting) actually made little red work really well, and it got under my skin and stayed with me longer than i thought it would. i seem to have pushed it off my ballot at the last minute, which annoys me, it should have been there. happy to see it here.

katy b! i was initially disappointed by this album. horribly sequenced, a step down from her impeccable debut...i rarely actually create alternate track listings but rearranging (and judicious deleting) actually made little red work really well, and it got under my skin and stayed with me longer than i thought it would. i seem to have pushed it off my ballot at the last minute, which annoys me, it should have been there. happy to see it here.

― lex pretend, Tuesday, January 27, 2015 11:28 AM (28 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

v interested in your alternate tracklist (if it differs at all from the continuous mix tracklist)

"Archie" rightly got the most attention, but the Alvvays record is top to bottom very solid; has a ton of wonderful riffs. It's also a nice length, and every track runs into the next, so I seem to want to replay it nearly every time.

They're in the same wheelhouse as Allo Darlin and Camera Obscura. It's definitely twee, but the lead singer has a dead-pan/I-don't-give-a-shit delivery and there are enough fuzzed out guitars to make it sound way cooler than, say, a Belle and Sebastian.

Oh, glad to see the Fennesz.

Really loved Endless Summer when it came out, but increasingly got the impression from it over the years that it rides a lot of MAX/MSP FX and gloss, which was definitely interesting at the time, but now also comes across as a bit like a demo reel from a studio technician.

Would be eager to meet this studio tech!

v interested in your alternate tracklist (if it differs at all from the continuous mix tracklist)

― j. winters (josh), Tuesday, January 27, 2015 7:30 PM (21 seconds ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah i made it before i knew there was a continuous mix...and the continuous mix still includes the blah tracks that make it sag

next thing
everything
i like you
blue eyes
little red light
sapphire blue
vulnerable/drunk in love
stay down
emotions
aaliyah
hot like fire
all my lovin'
wicked love
crying for no reason
5 am
sky's the limit

the track First Time Ruth Saw The Sea is the best one from quick listen to the gigi masin, some of the others might be a touch rich for me again, but will definitely come back to this one!

First time Ive heard Wild Beasts, I get stressed going clothes shopping and it reminded me a lot of the last time. I've been putting off buying a winter coat partly for this reason but luckily a man here gave me a spare one. This music is stressful

I thought the Katy B record in the poll was horrible. I think any artist can have a little gem tucked away somewhere in their back catalogue. I also think its ok that you might miss out on it. I dont feel like listening to any of this

The middle stretch of the Katy B album was wonderful. I threw in "Hot Like Fire" and I was in business.

Love the Lady album. Reverend is right, wtf happened to Kelis, the production on her album really is dogshit and it's a shame because it seems like there's some decent songwriting muddled in there... then you listen to Lady and the production is so lush. Glad it's here although I didn't vote for it. I play it at one of my bars constantly to make amends.

I meant buried not muddled.

tbc Lady isn't in the countdown. It was just offered up as a helpful suggestion.

Isnt the gigi masin a resissue? how come qualify

I mainly found it odd that people complained about Ronika's pastiche and then had all kinds of good things to say about Lady, which is nothing but that.

Typical that the first time I've been not that excited about a Wild Beasts album that they make their first appearance in the end of year list. Easily their weakest album for me. They promised they weren't going to do something different to the last couple of albums but I didn't really hear it. Still think Limbo Panto is their best, bring back the pomp!

Isnt the gigi masin a resissue? how come qualify

It's a compilation of mainly unreleased material.

imago - sorry for real

http://i.imgur.com/3fh9hlS.jpg

46 YOUNG MARCO Biology [355 points, 15 votes]

nice!

yh sorry too h3lg, terrible argument against music. feel rly guilty still

sweet!
biology is awesssssome

nice!

another one that just slipped off my ballot wtf. i guess i didn't find it as exciting as young marco's mixes or singles but it was still excellent listening.

young marco is def a new direction for YMCMB

terrible argument against music

new board description.

Lol M@tt

omg M@tt hahaha

yay Young Marco!

nu-balearic crew represent

Sea World sounds like nitrous oxide

getting hopeful john luther adams might place

― gr8080, Tuesday, January 27, 2015 6:50 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

if I were voting today I'd have become ocean high on my ballot, doubt we'll see it tho

shit I forgot to vote for that! so beautiful.

was anyone else into steel hammer or is that just me?

Wow! I didn't think Gigi Masin had made such an impact on here, there were a few amazing retrospectives from last year (also that Vangelis Katsoulis & the Ariel Kalma ones) but this one the best by miles.

Feel if it's got the saer okay, I'll give it a spin

Too low

nice of you guys to not have any of the albums i voted for in the countdown yet so that my entire ballot can place in the top 40

I don't get the fascination with the next one at all, but people seemed endlessly fascinated with it.

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

45 LEWIS L'Amour [367 points, 11 votes]

year of impact I guess

yeh never got too much with this music
But the story seemed real cool

lol

lewis story seemed hokey to me - why are people so fascinated by ~mystique as though that makes an artist's music better - and i thought the album was dull and pretty standard for what it was

whats the story behind this one?

he's garth brooks

he looks more like Richard Madeley

The story was offputting. The record itself was pretty fine.

http://noisey.vice.com/blog/light-in-the-attics-lewis-lamour