Tuesday 30 December 2014

Albums of the Year 2014

And so to the final post of 2014, my favourite albums of the year. It was a devilishly tricky old business ranking them, with positions changing a number of times as I listened and re-listened to the shortlist, though the top five were never in any real doubt. I've featured several of these artists on the blog over the past 12 months (click on the red highlights to check out the original posts and music) and hope to return to a few of those that have yet to grace these pages in the future.


Top 20

1. David Thomas Broughton & Juice - Sliding the Same Way
2. Quilt - Held in Splendor
3. Mazes - Wooden Aquarium
4. Boy and Bear - Harlequin Dream*
5. Jane Weaver - The Silver Globe
6. St Vincent - s/t
7. Robert Plant - Lullaby & the Ceaseless Roar
8. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold
9. Micah P Hinson - MPH and the Nothing
10. Gruff Rhys - American Interior
11. Gogo Penguin - V2
12. Courtney Barnett - A Sea of Split Peas
13. Sun Kil Moon - Benji
15. Real Estate - Atlas
16. Pete Fij & Terry Bickers - Broken Heart Surgery
17. The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
18. Big Blood - Unlikely Mother
19. Karl Hector & the Malcouns - Unstraight Ahead
20. The Soundcarriers - Entropicalia

Favourite Reissues/Compilations etc

African Gems (Various Artists)
Haiti Direct - Big Band, Mini Jazz & Twoubadou Sounds, 1960-1978
Wilco - Alpha Mike Foxtrot
Musi-O-Tunya - Give Love to Your Children
Les Ambassadeurs du Motel de Bamako
Virgin Front Line - Sounds of Reality
Bob Dylan - Basement Tapes
Captain Beefheart - Sun Zoom Spark
Led Zeppelin - Houses of the Holy
William Oneyeabor - Complete
Bunny "Striker" Lee - Full Up
Hailu Mergia - Tche Belew

Bubbling Under...

King Creosote - From Scotland With Love
Temples - Sun Structures
Leonard Cohen - Popular Problems
Tinariwen - Emmaar
Hiss Golden Messenger - Lateness Of Dancers
Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots
Steve Gunn - Way Out Weather
Sinkane - Mean Love
Damien Jurado - Brothers & Sisters of the Eternal Son
The Furrow Collective - At Our Next Meeting
Ibibio Sound Machine - s/t
Joan as Police Woman - The Classic
Parquet Courts - Sunbathing Animal
School of Language - Old Fears
Tuneyards - Nikki Nack
Joe Henry - Invisible Hour
Sleaford Mods - Divide and Exit
Eno & Hyde - High Life
Teleman - Breakfast
White Fence - For the Recently Found Innocent
Childhood - Lacuna
Golden Gunn - s/t
The Coral - The Curse of Love
Hookworms - The Hum
Rachael Dadd - We Resonate
Tweedy - Sukierae





It just remains for me to say a big thank you to everyone who stopped by in 2014 and also to all the bloggers out there who I read, listen to and am inspired by every day. A Happy New Year to you and those you love.

Let's do it all again in 2015.

(*Special thanks to Shell Hunter over at Tune Doctor for the Boy & Bear release date info!)


8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Following your blog is an education. I can see there is an awful lot for me to still catch up with - something I hope to do in 2015, G-d willing.

All the best for a wonderful New Year to you and yours.

Anonymous said...
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Charity Chic said...

Some interesting stuff for me to explore there TS.Thanks.WIshing you and yours a happy,healthy and prosperous 2015

The Swede said...

SB. So much music, so little time. Why didn't I name my blog that? Best wishes for the new year to all at Bear Acres.

CC. Hope you find something of interest. A fab & groovy 2015 to you and yours.

Scott said...

A very interesting list and quite a few tracks on there that I have not heard before. One of the many reasons I enjoy your blog is the music I have not encountered before. Will be checking out a lot of these tracks over the weekend. Hope you have a great New Year and all the best for 2015.

The Swede said...

Thanks Scott. I'm struggling to catch up with everyone's posts after the Christmas break, but I'll get there. I note that you've listed your fave tunes for the year, which I look forward to taking a gander at. In the meantime and between time, here's wishing you all the very best for the new year.

C said...

Fascinating list and so much still to explore, I'll never have time so I'm grateful I can at least check out some as and when they appear here...

Could you ever have imagined 30 years ago when you wrote out that list you posted previously here that you would still be finding so much new music now? And also that some long familiar names would be making appearances?!

Happy New Year to you and Mrs S from Mr SDS and me - looking forward to more here in 2015.

Old Pa's Corner said...

Wow! that is some selections there. Like SB and other comments there is plenty for me to check up. Keep up the great work this year TS

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