It's been a long year with a laundry list of new albums and new artists, so it's our due diligence to share the best of the best and a little of the rest of this year's music (so far). In no discernible order, we give an eclectic list of the best records of 2014, with everything from rock to rap and singer-songwriter to funky electronic du![alt-j, alt-j live]()
os. No matter how you slice it, there's something in here for you, even if it's just a great pun or piss-poor comparison. Enjoy a single from each album directly on Spotify, as well.
alt-J - "This Is All Yours"
No surprise to avid alt-J listeners that the group's new "This Is All Yours" is supremely worth the ear's attention, once again straddling the lines of originality and familiarity in its delivery. All songs - "Every Other Freckle" especially - stand tall alongside past alt-J tunes in an album that runs ultra deep in all 14 tracks. With the music composition of the best Radiohead record and the soft speaking lyrics of the best Brett Dennen songs, along with vocal harmonization of Willy Wonka's Oompa Loompas, alt-J somehow managed to outdo themselves this year.
Ryan Adams - "Ryan Adams"
He's been around for awhile, releasing both solo and band records with The Cardinals nearly every year since 2000. After a brief hiatus, Ryan's return was accompanied by possibly his best solo work to date, every song striking multiple chords for listeners and relying very little on acoustics in a heavily electric - even in the slow songs - self-titled album. Songs like "Stay With Me" and the lead single "Gimme Something Good" explore the silence between notes more than the sounds themselves, making this is a very felt, very restrained effort worth listening to over and over again until you're practically riding the rhythms on your own.
Phantogram - "Voices"
One of the strongest sophomore records by anybody this year, Phantogram raises the stakes from its 2010 full length debut "Eyelid Movies" to "Voices" with a bit of grit and a few solid street beats. Dubbed as one of the best electronic duos to see live in 2014, Phantogram was not only a festival favorite but also nighttime keepsake for nocturnal night owls who like nothing more than to stay up late and shake their groove thangs. "Voices" is a continuation of the New York duo's dark and psychedelic vibe while being recorded in the lovely sun-shininess of Los Angeles.
John Butler Trio - "Flesh & Blood"
Commonly known for his upbeat Australian roots style in his first five studio albums, John Butler and his trio pull back a little - not too much - in their new, softer "Flesh & Blood" record from earlier this spring. Aptly opened by "Spring to Come" and closing with "You Are Free," the entire album is a free-floating listening experience of both schizophrenia and clarity, ranging from rock to reggae and calamitous to calm all in one 11-track disc recorded in 20 days. His first single "Only One" is indicative of where the album might go, but every song - although in the same vein - spirals in a different direction from the rest.
Sun Kil Moon - "Benji"
Indie folk lovers will strip down naked and make free love to every shirtless fool they can get their hands on if Sun Kil Moon's sixth studio serving "Benji" is playing aloud. Despite its unending tones of comfort and calmness, somebody dies in almost every song on the 11-track album. Songs more poetic and storytelling than any popular record of the year, Sun Kil Moon shares the pitfalls of life in a constant landslide of acoustic melodies that will make you cry like a girl and sleep like a baby all in a one quick listen. A conversation on the human condition and an honest offering of lyrics to complement catchy acoustic chants, "Benji" is everyone's favorite folk record this year.
Beck - "Morning Phase"
An ode to the days of "Sea Change," Beck returns with the companion album that is possibly his best yet as well as one of the best records of the year. The perfect way to start the day when you have coffee and a vinyl player at your disposal, "Morning Phase" dances with delicacy starting with a tone-setting intro and carries on with a consistently subtle groove of beautiful image-evoking vocal and string harmonies and acoustic melodies. Started in 2005, the album carries the weight of a true morning soundtrack with the lightness of a feather in songs like "Blue Moon" while managing to retain heavier sounds in lyric-restrained "Wave" and "Black Bird Chain." To listen to the album at night is almost confusing as this is truly a phase perfect for any morning.
Wiz Khalifa - "Blacc Hollywood"
The rap whiz of 2014 is no other than Khalifa himself, making noise and hollerin' and bending people over with some explicit content in "Blacc Hollywood." The weed-smoking, ass-loving Wiz is back with his first record since 2012 and an early 2014 arrest that set back his mix tape "28 Grams" release. "Blacc Hollywood" is a 13-song list of pot strain references, sexual healings and big name collaborations, including the likes of Nicki Minaj on the final track, along with appearances from Nas and Snoop Dogg. In a slow rap year, Wiz is top dog.
Tycho - "Awake"
San Franciscan photographic and ambient artist Scott Hansen is back after creating new musical playgrounds for our ears with his fourth Tycho record, "Awake." With little to no sounds that are unattractive, "Awake" is a generally likable track list, except that fans of the hip hop and electronic communities will find little better than the consistently progressive sounds of this latest 8-track endeavor.
The Black Keys - "Turn Blue"
A little more reserved compared to typical Black Keys records, "Turn Blue" is more of a cold than a fever in terms of its infectiousness, despite having "Fever" being one of the hit tracks. Going from easy big themes that suck the radio junkies in, The Black Keys have gone deeper into a state of melancholy on "Turn Blue." The record plays like a daring duo that graduated from its last adolescent records "Brothers" and "El Camino" into a state of introspective, experimental adulthood with no fear for stepping off the well-beaten path to find something new and exciting worth sharing.
Flying Lotus - "You're Dead!"
Flying Lotus returned this fall with a uniquely inspired blend of genre jumping filling the background of heavy lyrical themes to convey in songs like "Dead Man's Tetris" and "Never Catch Me." Flying Lotus albums have grown deeper in their existential sense since album one, and this - You're Dead! - is the fifth and most vulnerable expression of electronic music around. Featuring collaborations with Herbie Hancock, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar, "You're Dead!" offers a 19-track roller coaster where each turn takes the listener someplace new and enlightening.
The War on Drugs - "Lost in the Dream"
Dubbed as the year's champion record by many of the "Best of 2014" lists, The War on Drugs manages to live up to its expectation with their latest 10 songs, starting with an upbeat 8-minute tribute - whether intentional or not - to an early Bob Dylan with an '80s pop beat. Stepping away from their days of Kurt Vile, the boys carry on with a grandiose sense of melody and an ability to make music that you swear you've rolled the windows down to before. All the songs of "Lost in a Dream" roll together perfectly and sound sweetly of a group of men running through your dreams and when you awake you'll find your mother is listening to the same music. It's just that universal, the pop anthem record everyone's been waiting for since 1984.
Hurray for the Riff Raff - "Small Town Heroes"
The third full length record in three years from Hurray for the Riff Raff, the feminine folk band is back with "Small Town Heroes," a cheerful small town soundtrack for the indie folk outfit out of the Big Easy. The group, formed in 2008, filters in some southern banjo, organ, soothing melodies and harmonies for one of the year's easiest feel-good folk contributions. Songs like "Blue Ridge Mountain" and "Crash on the Highway" speak of traveling the open road only to return home to singer Alynda Lee's home in New Orleans, closing with the album title track like a southern female take on Damien Rice.
os. No matter how you slice it, there's something in here for you, even if it's just a great pun or piss-poor comparison. Enjoy a single from each album directly on Spotify, as well.alt-J - "This Is All Yours"
No surprise to avid alt-J listeners that the group's new "This Is All Yours" is supremely worth the ear's attention, once again straddling the lines of originality and familiarity in its delivery. All songs - "Every Other Freckle" especially - stand tall alongside past alt-J tunes in an album that runs ultra deep in all 14 tracks. With the music composition of the best Radiohead record and the soft speaking lyrics of the best Brett Dennen songs, along with vocal harmonization of Willy Wonka's Oompa Loompas, alt-J somehow managed to outdo themselves this year.
Ryan Adams - "Ryan Adams"
He's been around for awhile, releasing both solo and band records with The Cardinals nearly every year since 2000. After a brief hiatus, Ryan's return was accompanied by possibly his best solo work to date, every song striking multiple chords for listeners and relying very little on acoustics in a heavily electric - even in the slow songs - self-titled album. Songs like "Stay With Me" and the lead single "Gimme Something Good" explore the silence between notes more than the sounds themselves, making this is a very felt, very restrained effort worth listening to over and over again until you're practically riding the rhythms on your own.
Phantogram - "Voices"
One of the strongest sophomore records by anybody this year, Phantogram raises the stakes from its 2010 full length debut "Eyelid Movies" to "Voices" with a bit of grit and a few solid street beats. Dubbed as one of the best electronic duos to see live in 2014, Phantogram was not only a festival favorite but also nighttime keepsake for nocturnal night owls who like nothing more than to stay up late and shake their groove thangs. "Voices" is a continuation of the New York duo's dark and psychedelic vibe while being recorded in the lovely sun-shininess of Los Angeles.
John Butler Trio - "Flesh & Blood"
Commonly known for his upbeat Australian roots style in his first five studio albums, John Butler and his trio pull back a little - not too much - in their new, softer "Flesh & Blood" record from earlier this spring. Aptly opened by "Spring to Come" and closing with "You Are Free," the entire album is a free-floating listening experience of both schizophrenia and clarity, ranging from rock to reggae and calamitous to calm all in one 11-track disc recorded in 20 days. His first single "Only One" is indicative of where the album might go, but every song - although in the same vein - spirals in a different direction from the rest.
Sun Kil Moon - "Benji"
Indie folk lovers will strip down naked and make free love to every shirtless fool they can get their hands on if Sun Kil Moon's sixth studio serving "Benji" is playing aloud. Despite its unending tones of comfort and calmness, somebody dies in almost every song on the 11-track album. Songs more poetic and storytelling than any popular record of the year, Sun Kil Moon shares the pitfalls of life in a constant landslide of acoustic melodies that will make you cry like a girl and sleep like a baby all in a one quick listen. A conversation on the human condition and an honest offering of lyrics to complement catchy acoustic chants, "Benji" is everyone's favorite folk record this year.
Beck - "Morning Phase"
An ode to the days of "Sea Change," Beck returns with the companion album that is possibly his best yet as well as one of the best records of the year. The perfect way to start the day when you have coffee and a vinyl player at your disposal, "Morning Phase" dances with delicacy starting with a tone-setting intro and carries on with a consistently subtle groove of beautiful image-evoking vocal and string harmonies and acoustic melodies. Started in 2005, the album carries the weight of a true morning soundtrack with the lightness of a feather in songs like "Blue Moon" while managing to retain heavier sounds in lyric-restrained "Wave" and "Black Bird Chain." To listen to the album at night is almost confusing as this is truly a phase perfect for any morning.
Wiz Khalifa - "Blacc Hollywood"
The rap whiz of 2014 is no other than Khalifa himself, making noise and hollerin' and bending people over with some explicit content in "Blacc Hollywood." The weed-smoking, ass-loving Wiz is back with his first record since 2012 and an early 2014 arrest that set back his mix tape "28 Grams" release. "Blacc Hollywood" is a 13-song list of pot strain references, sexual healings and big name collaborations, including the likes of Nicki Minaj on the final track, along with appearances from Nas and Snoop Dogg. In a slow rap year, Wiz is top dog.
Tycho - "Awake"
San Franciscan photographic and ambient artist Scott Hansen is back after creating new musical playgrounds for our ears with his fourth Tycho record, "Awake." With little to no sounds that are unattractive, "Awake" is a generally likable track list, except that fans of the hip hop and electronic communities will find little better than the consistently progressive sounds of this latest 8-track endeavor.
The Black Keys - "Turn Blue"
A little more reserved compared to typical Black Keys records, "Turn Blue" is more of a cold than a fever in terms of its infectiousness, despite having "Fever" being one of the hit tracks. Going from easy big themes that suck the radio junkies in, The Black Keys have gone deeper into a state of melancholy on "Turn Blue." The record plays like a daring duo that graduated from its last adolescent records "Brothers" and "El Camino" into a state of introspective, experimental adulthood with no fear for stepping off the well-beaten path to find something new and exciting worth sharing.
Flying Lotus - "You're Dead!"
Flying Lotus returned this fall with a uniquely inspired blend of genre jumping filling the background of heavy lyrical themes to convey in songs like "Dead Man's Tetris" and "Never Catch Me." Flying Lotus albums have grown deeper in their existential sense since album one, and this - You're Dead! - is the fifth and most vulnerable expression of electronic music around. Featuring collaborations with Herbie Hancock, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar, "You're Dead!" offers a 19-track roller coaster where each turn takes the listener someplace new and enlightening.
The War on Drugs - "Lost in the Dream"
Dubbed as the year's champion record by many of the "Best of 2014" lists, The War on Drugs manages to live up to its expectation with their latest 10 songs, starting with an upbeat 8-minute tribute - whether intentional or not - to an early Bob Dylan with an '80s pop beat. Stepping away from their days of Kurt Vile, the boys carry on with a grandiose sense of melody and an ability to make music that you swear you've rolled the windows down to before. All the songs of "Lost in a Dream" roll together perfectly and sound sweetly of a group of men running through your dreams and when you awake you'll find your mother is listening to the same music. It's just that universal, the pop anthem record everyone's been waiting for since 1984.
Hurray for the Riff Raff - "Small Town Heroes"
The third full length record in three years from Hurray for the Riff Raff, the feminine folk band is back with "Small Town Heroes," a cheerful small town soundtrack for the indie folk outfit out of the Big Easy. The group, formed in 2008, filters in some southern banjo, organ, soothing melodies and harmonies for one of the year's easiest feel-good folk contributions. Songs like "Blue Ridge Mountain" and "Crash on the Highway" speak of traveling the open road only to return home to singer Alynda Lee's home in New Orleans, closing with the album title track like a southern female take on Damien Rice.