" Update: There’s a Vimeo version online, since some of the major labels have blocked the video in certain countries. Hit play and full screen! No need to try and figure it out on your own, we’ve got you covered. Me, Matt, Muriel, Sean and Austin have summarized and ranked this year’s albums in this […]"
THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2014
Update: There’s a Vimeo version online, since some of the major labels have blocked the video in certain countries.
Hit play and full screen! No need to try and figure it out on your own, we’ve got you covered. Me, Matt, Muriel, Sean and Austin have summarized and ranked this year’s albums in this fantastic video for you. Will Foo Fighters make the cut? Does anyone really like Aphex Twin’s album legitimately? Will Pitchfork list obscure albums no one actually likes? What happens if you really dug the U2 album and its marking strategy? Will Kanye West drop an album tomorrow and destroy all 2014 lists forever?
All these questions and more, are somewhat answered in eight minutes and forty seconds. For safety reasons, and because major labels automatically ban use of their work, we’ve got a Vimeo video alternative link if the Youtube video gets taken offline. As mentioned in the video, we couldn’t cover metal albums because while ranking and comparing albums and genres is stupid enough on its own, a hardcore metal act couldn’t possibly fit between indie act #1 and alternative indie act #2. Here’s our best of metal albums list, as voted by you.
Disagree with our list? Don’t worry, we’re not sure we even agree with ourselves (who’s EP anyway?). But make sure to share your list below and for what it’s worth, we hope you enjoyed watching the list!
Damien Rice – My Favourite Faded Fantasy, above all else.
Swans – To Be Kind
Run The Jewels – RTJ 2
10. Matthew Halsall & The Gondwana Orchestra – When The World Was One (variable – also may be Gone Girls OST, A Winged Victory For The Sullen – Atomos or Lamb – Backspace Unwind)
9. Grouper – Ruins
8. Bohren & der Club of Gore – Piano Nights
7. Archive – Axiom
6. Marissa Nadler – July
5. Kasabian – 48:13
4. The Horrors – Luminous
3. Jozef van Wissem / SQÜRL – Only Lovers Left Alive (OST)
2. Fire! Orchestra – Enter
1. Swans – To Be Kind
Top 20.
1. Swans – To Be Kind
2. Spoons – They Want My Soul
3. The Antlers – Familiars
4. Cloud Nothings – Here and Nowhere Else
5. Warehouse – Tesseract
6. Death From Above 1979 – The Physical World
7. Ex Hex – Rips
8. Real Estate – Atlas
9. Iceage – Plowing Through the Field of Love
10. Perfume Genius – Too Bright
11. Ought – More Than Any Other Day
12. Ty Segall – Manipulator
13. Mastodon – Once More Round The Sun
14. Woods – With Light and With Love
15. St. Vincent – S/t
16. Lantlos – Melting Sun
17. Perfect Pussy – Say Yes to Love
18. Have a Nice Life – The Unnatural World
19. Mimicking Birds – Eons
20. Wovenhand – Refractory Obdurate
honorable mentions:
A Sunny Day in Glasgow – Sea When Absent
Priests – Bodies and Control and Money and Power
Black Lips – Underneath the Rainbow
Hamilton Leithauser – Black Hours
Bleeding Rainbow – Interrupt
Protomartyr – Under Cover of Official Right
Cold Specks – Neuroplasticity
Nothing – Guilty of Everything
Pallbearer – Foundations of Burden
Creepoid – s/t
The Wytches – Annabel Dream Reader
Aerofall – S/t
Posse – Soft Opening
Here’s someone responsible, great selection too!
Royal Blood – Royal Blood
George Ezra – Wanted on Voyage
The Marmozets – The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets
Pulled Apart By Horses – Blood
& Hopefully Foo Fighters – Sonic Highways
Phantogram – Voices,
La Roux – Trouble in Paradise,
Future islands – Singles
Schoolboy Q – Oxymoron
Jessie Ware – Tough Love
I’ve had those on repeat for months, Singles in particular I thought was just brilliant, really uplifting.
+1 for Future Islands
In absolutely no particular order and a very Toronto/Canadian curated list:
Ty Segall – Manipulator
Trap Them – Bliss Fucker
Mac Demarco – Salad Days
Greys – If Anything
YOB – Clearing the Path to Ascension
White Lung – Deep Fantasy
Taylor Swift – 1989
Temples – Sun Structures
Single Mothers – Negative Qualities
Radioactivity – S/T
Thee Silver Mount Zion – Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything
The War on Drugs – Lost in a Dream
NehruvianDOOM – s/t
Swans – To Be Kind
Freddie Gibbs – Cocaine/Pinata
Nothing – Guilty of Everything
Hank Wood and the Hammerheads – Stay Home LP
The Brian Jonestown Massacre – Revelation
Beck – Morning Phase
Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire for No Witness
Alvvays – S/T
Comet Control – S/T
Led Zeppelin Full Discography Everyone Else Can Fuck Off
will continue to add as i listen as I’m still poring over a good number of albums as we speak.
Aphex Twin – Syro
Beck – Morning Phase
Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter
Anaal Nathrakh – Desideratum. Shouldn’t need to tell anyone why – if you’ve listened, you’ll understand.
8) Destrage – Are You Kidding Me? No.
7) Anathema – Distant Satellites
6) Shokran – Supreme Truth
5) BABYMETAL – BABYMETAL
4) Mastodon – Once More ‘Round The Sun
3) Taylor Swift – 1989
2) Slipknot – .5: The Gray Chapter
1) Behemoth – The Satanist
I can’t go past Killer Be Killed for album of the year at the moment. Just packs a punch! I’m not hardcore into metal but this album is fantastic!
Lisa Gerrard – Twilight Kingdom is definitely a hidden gem!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vG1RInXX4Y
Valentin Stip, “Sigh”
68′- In Humor and Sadness
BadBadNotGood- III
Code Orange- I Am King
Hundred Waters- The Moon Rang Like a Bell
Odesza- In Return
ZelooperZ – HELP (honorable mention)
ScHoolboy Q- Oxymoron
Every Time I Die- From Parts Unknown
Little Dragon- Nabuma Rubberband
Killer Mike and El-P- Run the Jewels 2
Hard to list and others i liked a lot. But as far as things sticking here it is. Can’t fit everthing and I’d rather do a loose top twenty of things i all liked.
I can definately relate to this list
Pom Pom – Ariel Pink
this year hasn’t been that great when it comes towards music but there are a few that were pretty decent and hopefully rihanna still releases R8 this month to make up for the lack of pop
vance joy/schoolboyQ/lana del rey have been pretty decent albums this year
No particular order, I’ve enjoyed all of the below at some point this year
Metronomy – Love Letters
The Twilight Sad – Nobody Wants To Be Here & Nobody Wants to Leave
Hospitality – Trouble
Timber Timbre – Hot Dreams
Mac Demarco – Salad Days
Caribou – Our Love
Future Islands – Singles
Aphex Twin – Syro
Beck – Morning Phase
Hundred Waters – The Moon Rang Like a Bell
Interpol – El Pintor (ok album, I just love Interpol)
James Vincent McMorrow – Post Tropical
St Vincent – St Vincent
Sun Kil Moon – Benji.
Hands down.
Foo Fighters, Royal Blood, Pink Floyd, Linkin park maybe, Kasabian, The Black Keys and sadly, Taylor Swift are probably the biggest contestants for Album of the year.
1) Thomas Bergersen – “Sun”
2) Rise Against – “The Black Market”
3) The Used – “Imaginary Enemy”
4) New Found Glory – “Resurrection”
5) Yellowcard – “Lift a Sail”
Interpol – El Pintor
Alt J – This is All Yours
Ghost Stories – Coldplay
Angus & Julia Stone – Angus & Julia Stone
Foster the People – Supermodel
Lykke Li – I Never Learn
Bleachers – Strange Desire
In Flames – Siren Charms
War on Drugs: Lost in the Dream Got to be in any best of list. phenomenal
Blonde Redhead: Barragan
Interpol: El Pintor
Xiu Xiu: Angel Guts, Red Classroom
Thom Yorke: Tomorrows Modern Boxes
Damon Albarn: Everyday Robots
FKA Twigs:
Run The Jewels: RJT2
Perfume Genius: Too Bright
Mac Demarco: Salad Days
Its been a good year
AAAAH forgot so many
Damn
Beck!! how could I forget Morning Phase
Behemoth The Satanist
Lily Allen – Sheezus
FKA Twigs – LP1
Jungle – Jungle
Hozier – Hozier
BANKS – Goddess
Also:
Little Dragon: Nabuma Rubberband
So many good albums have been released already, these are some of my favorites in no particular order.
Hundred Waters – The Moon Rang Like a Bell
Alt-J – This is All Yours
Keaton Henson – Romantic Works
Fennec – Let Your Heart Break
Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra – Fuck Off Get Free
Joplin Rice – Spine Adagio Part II & The Prince
Kandle – In Flames
Mystery Skulls – Forever
ODESZA – In Return
Slow Magic – How to Run Away
Shakey Graves – And The War Came
SBTRKT – Wonder Where We Land
SOHN – Tremors
Submotion Orchestra – Alium
Warpaint – Warpaint
Trentemoller – LOST Reworks