Rowan's '14 And Happy New Year
Whether it's hit the big 2015 in your timezone yet or not I'mma wish everyone here a hard-jammin' fist-pumpin' booty-thumpin' free-lovin' new year. I'm fairly certain most of you on this fine site of sputnikmusic dot com are total bonkers (meaning crazy in common-speak) but fuck it, I love you all - spread the love, let's all be friends, yay! To celebrate (because album lists are so last year lol) here's my top 100 songs of the fine year twenty-fourteen with full descriptions. Let's begin |
| 1 |  | The Antlers
Familiars
#1: Revisited. I'm obviously sucker for that emotional impact, and Familiars is my album of the year both because of that and it's perfect cohesiveness as a record. Palace is the immediate standout and a great choice for first single, but subsequent listens revealed something worthwhile and beaut in every other song, and gradually Revisited took over as my favourite. Everything is in aid of the narrative - the drums and keys are simple and sweet, the guitar stays well in the background until the smooth solo at the end, and just as it should be Silberman takes centre stage with a bone-chilling performance and by far the best lyrics of his not inconsiderable repertoire. Ladies and gentlemen (lol there are no women on Sputnik) I give you my song of the year. Juiciest lyric pick: "I heard you howling 'just take me just take me/To that rusty city we perfected/That holy summer we first found/The place you're stubbornly protecting/Is the only pretty thing that we own now/And we can stay here to wither/In your Garden of Eden/But your fantasy's a prison, and you're serving a sentence you can't stop repeating'" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBfTizcf47c |
| 2 |  | The War on Drugs
Lost in the Dream
#2: Under the Pressure. And the award for klapcore of the year goes to... I've made a big deal about the first six songs on this record and how well they fit together as one cohesive piece. Now it's not to say that the title track and In Reverse are anything less than stunning but there's something about the perfect, undisrupted flow of the first six that really gets me. Anyway, when it comes to the standout from the record, I can think of few better openers in recent years than Under the Pressure. It manages to feel intimate even within it's nine-minute length, it's perfectly executed, and the gradual quickening around halfway through is just like, the best thing, man. Juiciest lyric pick: "When it all breaks down and we're runaways/Standing in the wake of our pain/And we stare straight into nothing/But we call it all the same/You were raised on a promise/To find out over time/Better come around to the new way/Or watch as it all breaks down here/Under the pressure" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkLOg252KRE |
| 3 |  | Trophy Scars
Holy Vacants
#3: Everything Disappearing. Yeah yeah yeah cliche pick but justified one all the same. While a lot gets made of Trophy Scars' progression as artists from shitty post-hardcore to blues rock, I think there's another parallel development getting overlooked: Jerry's progression as a storyteller. His penchant for funny yet dark tales, first rearing it's head on Bad Luck before being honed on the Darkness and NBND EPs, is finally out in full force on Holy Vacants and it's glorious. The story of two lovers murdering angels to gain immortality is nasty and at times horrific, but just as often it's funny in a perverse way and ultimately emotive. Everything Disappearing is the perfect apotheosis and climax of this narrative as the two characters are consumed by a divine, epic "explode into nothing" - before "Nyctophobia" comes in and we find instead that they were sent to limbo, where in a way they had been since "Qeres", forever forgot. tl;dr: it's really fucking cool. Lyric pick: "OH LAUREN/PLEASE DON'T WATCH ME/AS I WALK OUT THAT DOOR/AND EXPLODE INTO NOTHING" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggxCFMtjAjo |
| 4 |  | Ben Howard
I Forget Where We Were
#4: End of the Affair. In all honesty, I thought Ben Howard kind of sucked before this album came out. Like, he wasn't Ed Sheeran's newest-level of mind-numbing but his output was mostly mediocre with a few diamonds in the rough, eg: "Old Pine" or "London". But 2014 showed us an entirely new Ben Howard - conflicted, angry, and most of all able to make some damn nice music. End of the Affair is by a distance the jewel in his crown, the standout not only on this album but his career. It presents perfectly a division between hopelessness and anger, with the sudden switch in tempo (and tone) about five minutes in being one of my favourite musical moments in years. Lyric pick: "Now I watch her/Running 'round in love again/Now I talk about it/When I'm with our mutual friends." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Unz9gWteR1s |
| 5 |  | Copeland
Ixora
#5: Erase. I seem to have a thing about songs which switch up halfway through - either that or there was just a plethora of incredible ones in 2014. "Erase" is the closest Copeland have ever come to matching the milestone indie track which is "California" from their debut, and that is some high praise. No link available |
| 6 | | The Antlers
Familiars
#6: Parade. Now at this point I should make it clear I tried to keep multiple songs from one album to a minimum so only the real cream of 2014's crop has duplicated songs on here. And yeah a lot are grouped towards the top so if you're impatient (or potsy) and don't want to see more of the same just scroll down a bit for the more interesting stuff. Moving on, the Antlers' second inclusion is the groovy "Parade". Coming after the slow-moving beast that is "Revisited", "Parade" seems set to change the tone with an upbeat, dreamy guitar line. While the tempo and mood of the album are indeed lightened significantly by this track, it still delivers plenty of your typical introspective, ambiguous-yet-intimate Silberman lyricism. Best pick: "In the morning when we're both nineteen and newly on our own/When all we know is, each other and invisible homes/We find two empty seats in the back of a car in an empty parking lot/Where all our bridges are abandoned and the cops have forgot" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IA1Qucq20Y |
| 7 |  | Circa Survive
Descensus
#7: Only the Sun. Fuck, man. This gets so high simply because of that final onslaught that is it's last minute-and-a-half. Just like, ugh. "It's just a god that we can lie to/It's just an antiquated position/It's just a silent need for action/Take it as a compliment to let down" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WYtInVfMsQ |
| 8 | | Copeland
Ixora
#8: World Turn. Now ballads are nothing new to Copeland's discography and they've pretty much perfected the formula at this point, but they've still never quite made all the elements work so perfectly before than on "World Turn" (ignore the grammar in that previous sentence). Marsh's voice is incredible as always yet subdued, almost distracted; breaking from Copeland's M.O. it is a song based entirely around acoustic guitar rather than the tried-and-true formula of Marsh and his piano; and the sax solo is just, next level shit. Lyric pick (keeping it short but sweet): "And you felt the world turn/And you felt the world turn it's back on you." No link available ugh youtube |
| 9 |  | Sharon Van Etten
Are We There
#9: Your Love Is Killing Me. Looking back over Sharon's career I think she was always headed for something as special as Are We There. Each of her previous albums had it's defining factor - simple acoustic tunes on her debut, the slightly overblown lengthier pieces of Epic, the heavier, angrier rockers on Tramp. What sets Are We There above is that it feels as if the essences of each of the previous albums were still present, yet never taking pre-eminence over the embracing of a new sound (another trainwreck of grammar in a sentence I apologise). There are basically a fuckton of standout tracks here, and some will definitely be making an appearance further down the list, but "Your Love Is Killing Me" is just something else. Sharon said around the release of Tramp that she had learned "to be angry", and with the shadow of her five-year abusive relationship still hanging over her mind as is evident in her lyrics, the anger has never seemed so explosive and cathartic as on this song. Lyric choice (easy pick): "Break my legs so I won't walk to you/Cut my tongue so I can't talk to you/Burn my skin so I can't feel you/Stab my eyes so I can't see/You like it/When I let you walk over me/You tell me that you like it/When our minds become diseased" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rbnJ6nYKFQ |
| 10 |  | Coldplay
Ghost Stories
#10: Midnight. Okay, yeah, Ghost Stories wasn't that good. Coldplay are probably past their prime. It's getting a little old. But I'll be damned if "Midnight" isn't one of their best creations in years, almost like they spent all their creativity writing this one and then forcing all the others out as an after-thought. Someone once described it as "Bon Iver singing over Jon Hopkins", and that's not that far off. The brooding atmosphere is tangible and rises almost imperceptibly throughout the five minutes. It other words, it just vibes, bro. Lyric pick (because there was a whole lot of choice): "In the darkness/Before the dawn/In the swirling/Of this storm/When I'm rolling with the thunder, and bleed from thorns/Leave a light, a light on." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQeMxWjpr-Y |
| 11 | | The War on Drugs
Lost in the Dream
#11: Suffering. I did warn you most of the repetition would be at the top, right? "Suffering" is one of the most understated tracks on LITD, but with more listens it becomes one of the best. It is perhaps the most obviously downbeat song in their discography; while other songs like "Under the Pressure" tend to coat the subject matter of depression and anxiety in summery, dreamy vibes, "Suffering" cuts straight to the heart of the matter and in doing so becomes one of the most powerful songs on the album. Lyric pick: "Like the feeling that you gave me/Like a snowflake through the fire, babe/I'll be frozen in time but you'll be here/Suffering" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8R5frsqBDA |
| 12 | | Ben Howard
I Forget Where We Were
#12: Time is Dancing. I've covered my love for this song in particular in my review of the album (which y'all should totally check hey) but I'll get the gist across here: "Time" has one hell of a chorus hook, one which could easily have matched "Keep Your Head Up" in airplay if backed by some cheery handclaps and jaunty acoustic guitar. Instead, and in keeping with the tone of the album, "Time is Dancing" is presented as a distant, distracted piece of music, with the hook buried under quiet distortion and an ambient bridge bringing the total song to nearly seven minutes. Not only is the sound truer to Howard's new aesthetic but it also brings a new, almost sinister twist to lyrics which would otherwise probably be interpreted as happy-go-lucky: "Hold it in, now let's go dancing/I do believe we're only passing through/Wired again, now look who's laughing/You again, oh you oh you oh you." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-IydbnIuCM (Elementary? lol) |
| 13 | | The Antlers
Familiars
#13: Palace. Last Antlers on here, I swear. And there's little to say about it that hasn't already been said. While most of Familiars is quiet and un-assuming, sneaking it's way into the listeners appreciation with infinite patience, "Palace" wastes no time at all in making it's impact. It's gorgeous from top to bottom, building gracefully to a powerhouse performance by Silberman which erupts at - you guessed it! - the halfway point. Lyric pick: "When he heard I was on his tail he emptied your accounts/And hid a part of you that's so invaluable, a part of you unsellable at any amount/He left the tallest peak of your paradise buried at the bottom of a canyon in hell/but I SWEAR I'LL FIND YOUR LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE WHEN THERE'S SO LITTLE LATE AT NIGHT DOWN IN THE PIT OF THE WELL" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9afJSKCOQQ |
| 14 | | Various Artists
Wish I Was Here
#14: Heavenly Father (by Bon Iver). This is one that seems to have slipped under the radar a bit - surprising given the Sputlove for For Emma - but it's a beauty. The electronic sound is far better executed than anything on the self-titled X2 and the emotional impact is more tangible than anything since "re: stacks". I can only hope it's a harbinger of more music in the near future and of the same quality. Lyric pick: "I just been up here for goddamn years (can you see now?)/Fillin' up holes with goddamn fears (I am free now)/I know about it darlin' I've been standing here/Heavenly father/Is all that he offers/A safety in the end?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2CbQpo-8CE |
| 15 | | Trophy Scars
Holy Vacants
#15: Crystallophobia. There's a lot going for this song, from the exceptional female vocals to the powerhouse chorus, but ultimately the end is all that matters. The first indication that despite the sleazy humour of the album's first half, there is an emotional core to the album that will come out in the latter half. Lyric pick: "we are HOLLOW we are VACANT/we are HAPPY WITH DEATH IN MIND/we are PREGNANT we are SHALLOW/we are fixed on a broken down/some jumbled, unfortunate lie" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdsQ6IKMSUE |
| 16 | | Ben Howard
I Forget Where We Were
#16: Small Things. The introduction to the newer, more troubled Howard of 2014 is "Small Things", as well as the first taste of the delishious guitar tone which pops up all throughout the album. The choruses - especially the final and most passionate one - are the realest thing Howard has written to date (I sort of lost my trail of thought there, anyway). Lyric pick: "Has the world gone mad or is it me?/And all these small things, they gather round me, gather round me/Is it all so very bad that I can't see?/And all these small things, they gather round me, gather round me" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIwyTGHg_t8 |
| 17 |  | The Hotelier
Home, Like NoPlace is There
#17: Dendron. The frequent tempo changes are tops, the lyrics are insanely moving, and each member brings their A-game. But it's mostly this high simply for MAN I'M SORRY EVERY DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyj06wPIHYQ |
| 18 | | The War on Drugs
Lost in the Dream
#18: Eyes to the Wind. One of the happiest and most upbeat songs on LITD, and the end of the aforementioned unbeatable six-song streak which opens the album. Simply spectacular. Lyric pick: "There's a cold wind blowing down my old road/Down the backstreets where the pines grow/Where the river splits the undertows/But I'd be lying to myself if I said that I didn't mind/Leave it hanging on a line/Lost inside my head/Is this the way I'll be denied, again?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H22kHZ-erpg |
| 19 |  | Alt-J
This Is All Yours
#19: Bloodflood pt. II. There's a lot of great, inventive music on TIAY and all of it miles ahead of their debut, but the sequel to An Awesome Wave's "Bloodflood" takes the cake, just because. Lyric pick: none because the lyrics are a bit naff innit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_wdKxvOQbM |
| 20 |  | Damien Rice
My Favourite Faded Fantasy
#20: The Box. Ah yes, I knew you knew this would be showing up eventually. Damien just, well, delivered the goods on this one. It's not that original, or ground-breaking, or new - it's just perfectly fucking executed, and "The Box" is it's pinnacle. Lyric pick: "I have tried but I don't fit/Into this box you call a gift/Well I could be wild and free/But god forbid, then you might envy me" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dCkCWjc8xVI |
| 21 | | The War On Drugs
Lost in the Dream
#21: An Ocean in Between the Waves. I'm running out of descriptions for songs from this album. klap, help me out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23GdGEzZPvE |
| 22 | | Circa Survive
Descensus
#22: Nesting Dolls. Circa mess around with that shoegaze biz and comes out with a total winner. 7 minutes of auditory bliss. "I don't wanna feel like this...... ever ever ever ever ever ever..." ~~~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVOdN7rPWtI |
| 23 | | Sharon Van Etten
Are We There
#23: Afraid of Nothing. I know "Your Love" is a fair way higher up on this list, but there's still a lot of days I think this might just be the best song Sharon has ever written. It's beautiful, epic, intimate, gorgeous, and other such adjectives. Every sound on it (indeed on the album) is perfectly calculated, recorded and placed - there's not a second wrong or out of place here. Lyric pick: "I can't wait, 'til we're afraid/Of nothing/I can't wait, 'til we hide/From nothing/noooothing/and you decide/to throw me a lame 'wait shit out'/You're a little late/I need you to be afraid/Of nothing" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irvWaJSPLFw |
| 24 | | Alt-J
This Is All Yours
#24: The Gospel of John Hurt. Following similar lines to "Bloodflood pt. II", "Gospel" is an addictive, trippy journey through, - I don't even know. Just check it out dudes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LXkpWY5Y02Q also that is now SIR John Hurt to you plebs |
| 25 |  | Closure in Moscow
Pink Lemonade
#25: Mauerbauertraurigkeit (I totally did not copy and paste that). Pink Lemonade is fucking insane, batshit crazy, total bollocks, and other things zak would say. It's a completely unhinged, unmoderated look into the crazy minds of these five Australian fellas and it's glorious. Yet it's biggest surprise isn't the pop rock of "Seeds of Gold" or the prog-parody "Dinosaur Boss Battle" but the slow, moving "Mauerbauertraurigkeit", which manages to bring a heavy emotional touch - not easy on an album that has a song called "Dinosaur Boss Battle." Lyric pick: "You're the hymn on the pulpit the arch up above/The marigold thunder I hear on that distant shore/Oh I still feel it's rain in my bones" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSh24F9btGs |
| 26 |  | Banks
Goddess
#26: Fuck Em Only We Know. I'm only putting this here so dev and tommy don't kick my arse. Nah but seriously, this is everything you could want in a pop song and more. Can't get enough. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vy473fORDA (full-length version not available :-( ) |
| 27 | | Alt-J
This Is All Yours
#27: Warm Foothills. Now is around that point in the list where you stop being able to think of descriptions for why each song is good so it's sort of like, yeah you know, this song is good. The vocal interplay is lovely, I guess, and the lyrics are quite good (change of tack for Alt-J). Lyric pick: WWAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRM FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTHIIIIIII-I-I-I-I-ILLLS (you're warm) *whistles* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9WZh49lA9ns |
| 28 |  | Casualties of Cool
Casualties of Cool
#28: Bones. Ugh so sputcore omg so unoriginal yeah well I don't even care deal with it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5O6rYXmj5M |
| 29 |  | Howard Shore
The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies
#29: The Last Goodbye (by Billy Boyd). HAH bet you didn't see this coming fuckers! Nah but like, the quality of this movie compared to the rest of the Middle-Earth movies is questionable (personally I found it the worst of the lot) but I can't think of a better way to farewell one of the best fictional universes than "The Last Goodbye". Calling back Billy Boyd aka Pippin to do it was a masterstroke - especially after the massive cock-up that was Ed Sheeran doing the song for the last movie - and he delivered the goods on every level. The song is so simple and sweet, nothing flash or grand, but ultimately it is the perfect farewell because of this, with the appeal of Tolkien's original works never being the huge battle sequences but rather the superb character development (something Jackson seems to have forgotten recently). A truly magnificent close to every character, every scene, every piece of the mythos. Lyric pick: "Over hill and under tree/Through lands where never light has shone/By silver streams that run down to the sea/Under cloud, beneath the stars/Over snow and winter's morn/I turn at last to paths that lead home/And though where the road then takes me/I cannot tell/We came all this way but now comes the day/To bid you farewell" :( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8ir8rVl2Z4 |
| 30 |  | ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
IX
#30: Lost in the Grand Scheme. One of the few Jason Reece songs on IX (a tragedy in itself considering the quality he always pumps out) "Lost in the Grand Scheme" is head and shoulders above the rest of the album and sadly one of the only ones worthy of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the best of Trail of Dead's body of work (so many body metaphors, holy shit). "Grand Scheme" takes the band's prog-punk aesthetic to a new extreme, wasting no time bursting out of the gates with a furious verse before settling in around the two-minute mark for a classic Trail of Dead build-up into an absolutely earth-rattling conclusion. Worth every cent you probably didn't pay for it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lmzy5LypP9E |
| 31 |  | The Twilight Sad
Nobody Wants to be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave
#31: Sometimes I Wished I Could Fall Asleep. This song is sad. Like The Twilight Sad have a reputation for "gloomy Scottish rock" but even by their standards this is one sad song. It's also pretty much perfect. Lyric pick: "Sad to say, I will stay awake/I'm leaving you just to be cruel/And you don't want me anymore/And you don't need me anymore/There's nothing left for us nothing left for us" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25xtUSyaWFI |
| 32 |  | Vestascension
Breaching the Sound
#32: Our Midnight Canvas. Hooray for undiscovered bands! Breaching the Sound does have it faults, being overblown and pretentious at some parts, but it does hit the nail right on the head at some points and never more than Our Midnight Canvas. With one of the best choruses of the year and excellent vocal interplay, this one really deserves more love. Lyric pick: "This is where we/Can be broken down to/Our colours/The shades that make us/Who we are/And who we, we will be/What if I saw through the sky?/And found your heart where the world could hear mine?" Cheesy, but great. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWlbWtU8mOk |
| 33 | | Vestascension
Breaching the Sound
#33: Until We See the Ocean. Putting these two together because coming right after Our Midnight Canvas they just work so well together as ten minutes of bliss. Again, they show their penchant for incredible choruses, this time paired with a slow-but-steady build from a chill beginning to one of the year's best climaxes. Lyric pick: "So many days/How we walk along until we see the ocean/Turning the page/We travel on we travel on" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RE3SsFkDypo |
| 34 | | Banks
Goddess
#34: You Should Know Where I'm Coming From. By a distance the most emotive and richest song on Goddess, Jillian gives a powerhouse vocal performance on here that will probably be marked as her best in years to come. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxEuRDi3h8Q |
| 35 | | The War on Drugs
Lost in the Dream
#35. In Reverse. It's just a really fucking good song. Lyric pick: "You've been out on the street/Talkin' bout the war with me/And the background is at night/Don't want to hesitate." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KI3H8myhJBI |
| 36 | | Sharon Van Etten
Are We There
#36: Our Love. This has to be one of the most relaxing, calming songs of the year - which makes the subject of the abusive relationship even harder-hitting. Paired with the stark, powerful music video and a simple but essential guitar contribution by Adam Granduciel, Sharon again captures pure gold. Lyric pick: "You say I am genuine/I see your backhand again/I'm a sinner I have sinned/We're a half-mast flag in wind" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T55SPTQ0qDg |
| 37 | | Casualties of Cool
Casualties of Cool
#37: Flight. Just gorgeous, gorgeous top to bottom, gorgeous front to back. Buzzword: gorgeous. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHVnebR7s5A |
| 38 | | The War on Drugs
Lost in the Dream
#38: Red Eyes. dududududududu BUT YOU ABUSE MY FAITH/LOSING EEEVERY TIME BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsoqmFL1vlU |
| 39 |  | Baths
Ocean Death
#39: Ocean Death. I still have trouble adjusting to the fact that the man who made Cerulean - happiest album of all time? - has made Obsidian and Ocean Death, two dark and hypnotic releases. But when he does it this well, who cares? Baths' traditional superb percussion sound is still alive and kicking (HAH! pun) alongside a pulsing beat and lyrics that leave a none-too-pleasant mental image in the mind. Lyric pick: "Burrow into my/Bury your body in my/Burrow into my/Bury your body in my graveyard" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yldjzy238E |
| 40 |  | The Smith Street Band
Throw Me In The River
#40 - THEN THUH-ROW ME IN THE FAAAKIIIIINNN RIVUHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I'LL FEEEEEEEEEDDD SOMETHING IF I DROOOOOOO-OOOOOOOOWNNNNNN" |
| 41 | | The Hotelier
Home, Like NoPlace is There
#41: Your Deep Rest. Depression is none too fun to say the least, and when it leads to suicide - put simply, it's the worst thing in the world. It also lends itself endlessly to expression through artistic form - in another words, incredible music. The Hotelier have it in spades. Lyric pick: "I should have never gave a word to you, not a cry, not a sound/MIGHT HAVE LEARNED HOW TO SWIM NEVER TAUGHT HOW TO DROWN" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ac355NgsV0 (on another note: Your Deep Rest = You're Depressed = mindblown) |
| 42 |  | Anathema
Distant Satellites
#42: Distant Satellites. This album wasn't all I wanted it to be, admittedly. If they could've embraced the new style head on, well this song is indicative of the kind of quality they could've been pumping out, but instead they chose to stick with the cheesy ballad anthems which basically made the first half of the album a boring gray area. God, does it pick up the end though. With Vincent's voice somehow sounding ever more clear and heavenly the older he gets and a perfectly integrated electronic backdrop, this song is bliss from start to end. Distant satellites, indeed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQNcCFh8R28 |
| 43 | | Ben Howard
I Forget Where We Were
#43: Conrad. The closest Howard gets to rehashing his old style on I Forget Where We Were, yet he still manages to make it sound so much better than it did. I really like this, guys. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYR6A47DK-Q |
| 44 |  | St. Vincent
St. Vincent
#44: Huey Newton. How does she do it? I ask myself. How does Annie manage to consistently make such fun, crazy, excellent music, all while sounding totally original? I don't know, but she does. She's bonkers, and off the wall, but she always delivers the goods. Huey Newton is just... if it were two separate songs, each could easily be the best song she'd written, but she decided to put 'em together so just when the first half is luring you into a false sense of security with it's laid-back vibe a massive crunchy riff comes in to shake up your world. And does all this while making a subtle but powerful point on internet usage and "cowboys of information". My new female artist crush, I'll admit it. Lyric pick: "Entombed in the shrines of zeros and ones, you know.... ya know/With fatherless features you motherless creatures you know... ya know/In perpetual night, it's so terribly frightening, you know..." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gD-jD5f84w |
| 45 | | Anathema
Distant Satellites
#45: Take Shelter. I did say that this album kicked up its quality strongly towards the end and I wasn't lying. The title track and "Take Shelter" back-to-back are a combo worthy of being placed in the very top of Anathema's not inconsiderable discography, and nothing else on DS even comes close. While the title track propels itself along with a simple but consistent beat, "Take Shelter" lets the piano take prominence alongside Vincent's ever-iridescent voice (what a fancy word), only to slowly build up through drums and strings to an electrifying climax. The moment when the drums finally kick in after a minute of teasing is pure golden. Lyric pick: "Lost myself in you/Find myself in truth/Lose ourselves along the way/Find ourselves in time again." |
| 46 | | Sharon Van Etten
Are We There
#46: Break Me. One of the more overt songs about her abusive ex-boyfriend, this song is heart-breakingly powerful in it's vindication and execution. It also covers all the reasons I fell in love with her music in the first place - the sheer emotional range it covers. The exceptional fucking power of this lady's personality I think is best encapsulated in an interview which I will paraphrase here, where the interviewer asked "what would you say to your ex-boyfriend now? something like 'fuck you?'", at which Sharon replied "I would say thank you for all the songs." An absolute role model. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yhVp6L78z6s |
| 47 | | Closure In Moscow
Pink Lemonade
#47: That Brahmatron Song. Remember earlier when I said this was an absolute batshit crazy album? Yeah. "That Brahmatron Song" is pure wank, and it's absolutely glorious. Ten minutes of Closure in Moscow doing whatever they want with no-one to stop them. Check it out. Lyric pick: "Sounds of alarm, reverberating strange/Equilateral bisexual triangles intersecting on parallel planes/They struck chords in serpent circles, echoed through the age/It's the new zodiac - you heard me - the new zodiac!!!!" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ae5jjFAK38g |
| 48 | | ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
IX
#48: Bus Lines. A surprisingly straight-forward, emotive song from a man known for his penchant to write about gods, demons, dead souls, suns, ships on the sea, and you get the picture. Could this be a move back to the more honest, life-based lyricism of the legendary Source Tags? I dunno. no link available |
| 49 |  | Dot Hacker
How's Your Process? (Work)
#49: Floating up the Stairs. The How's Your Process albums were immediately gripping and exciting, but I've found them to have far less appeal in the long-term than the all-time jam which is Inhibition. Nevertheless, "Floating up the Stairs" is total class - hypnotic and dreamy and Josh Klinghoffer lazily half-rapping, what more do you need? Lyric pick: "You'll never measure up/Up up and away/Way beyond anywhere you think/You'll be able to reach higher/Everything is about getting higher/Farther, faster, bigger, better/Way bigger than you'll ever be/You tiny little swine/Offer nothing kind to anyone/Should've never been not good enough/Look at that, it's awful remarks/My words stockpile/Short fuse/Fusillade/Combustion/Bust open/Comparison/Tell me whose fortune you want" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxv4v6SXlkM |
| 50 |  | King Creosote
From Scotland With Love
#50: Pauper's Dough. Zak I will give you this one, you were dead right. "Pauper's Dough" is a beautiful, moving tribute to the King's home country and deals with it's political tributes in a moving, not entirely melodramatic but perfectly sincere way. And it's an incredible song to boot, and gladly marks the halfway point of this list, at which point I will stop putting so much effort into these damn descriptions. Good luck everybody, "you've got to rise above the gutter you are inside" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42qxGm_0O0o |
| 51 |  | Passenger (UK)
Whispers
#51: Mike Rosenberg is an incredible lyricist, and that's by far the best thing that's going for him. I mean he can write a tune, but without his incredible narrative storytelling, he wouldn't be all that far ahead of the pack. But he is, so that's nice to know, isn't it? "We wish were happier, thinner and fitter/We wish we weren't losers and liars and quitters/We want something more, not just nasty and bitter/We want something real, not just hashtags and Twitter/It's the meaning of life, and it's streamed live on YouTube/But I bet GANGNAM STYLE WILL STILL GET MORE VIEWS/and we're all scared of drowning, and dying in shooters/But we're all slowly dying in front of fucking computers" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWKTFuAFcOY |
| 52 | | The Twilight Sad
Nobody Wants to be Here and Nobody Wants to read this whole list
#52: In Nowheres https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B57KLkTudT0 |
| 53 |  | Keaton Henson
Romantic Works
#53: Elevator Song. Award for most surprising album of the year - did not see this coming from Keaton and I'm glad I didn't because that's what makes it so incredible https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4CVXQq230Hg |
| 54 |  | David Bowie
Nothing Has Changed
#54: Sue (Or In a Season of Crime). Close contender for most surprising of the year, coming off the back of the pop-rock jams of the Next Day, but this is Bowie. No idea what style this even is but I dig it and want more, please, thanks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFX1y62l9C4 (full-length version not available) |
| 55 | | Passenger (UK)
Whispers
#55: Whispers. More incredible lyrics and a totally legit build-up that's more inventive than most singer-songwriters can muster, all those layers. EVERYONE'S FILLING ME UP WITH NOISE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT you see all I need's a whisper in a world that only shouts https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9ZlADL1TqM |
| 56 | | Damien Rice
My Favourite Faded Fantasy
#56: Colour Me In. ~~~~~~~~~~strings~~~~~~~~~~~~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QUn-k0jzbFs |
| 57 |  | Low Roar
0
#57: Breathe In. Thanks for this one Sowing, perfect song to drift slowly into the clutches of sleep to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JUdTyB6LX5M |
| 58 | | St. Vincent
St. Vincent
#58: Severed Crossed Fingers. Annie makes a straight-forward, non-whacky song and it's still so damn good https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eJMlu3X14A |
| 59 |  | Marissa Nadler
July
#59: Drive (Fade Into). Acad already said it all better than I could, so. ~still remember all the words to every song you ever heard driiiiiiiive~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D310qYzaXwg |
| 60 | | Closure In Moscow
Pink Lemonade
#60: The Church of the Technochrist. GET DOWN ON THE FLOOR PUT YOUR HANDS UP FOR OUR LORD HIS GOSPEL'S MADE OF LITHIUM AND SILICONE EVERYBODY PLUG YO MIND IN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unfz7hRoO7s |
| 61 | | Circa Survive
Descensus
#61: Child of the Desert. Again, Circa save all the best for the last minute or so. Again, it is fucking glorious. YEEEEEEEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH *riffs* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKJm5IjRavQ |
| 62 | | Faith No More
Motherfucker
#62: Motherfucker. Based on the strength of this, 2015 could see one of the best comeback albums in recent memory if they can live up to it and get those motherfuckers on the phone, the phone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glr878X82PE |
| 63 |  | Cymbals Eat Guitars
LOSE
#63: Laramie. More epic klapcore, excellent guitars, terrific narrative-based lyrics, etc. These fellas know how to write a six-minute plus song, man https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pOLtkgkHMI (but only the edited version is on yt) |
| 64 | | John Butler Trio
Flesh & Blood
#64: You're Free. Now here's an album that went under the radar, probably because y'all don't even Zebra. Anyway, although it's a country mile from his best work (he's past his prime at this point, and really needs to ditch the indie-pop) there's still some gems, namely the reveby, dreamy closer "You're Free". Give it a whirl. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jfedGGVq0A |
| 65 |  | Flying Lotus
You're Dead!
#65: Coronus, the Terminator. Still not familiar enough with FlyLo's discog to decide whether this is his best or worst or best of the century or worst of all time but all I know is I dig this song ok https://soundcloud.com/flyinglotus/coronus-the-terminator |
| 66 |  | Krusseldorf
Fractal World
#66: South of the Sky Temple. Pvre Jac-core but thanks for this Jac this is really good stuff Jac ok Jac? bye Jac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjHI4GwYBuM |
| 67 | | Banks
Goddess
#67: Waiting Game. DON'T TELL ME LISTEN TO YA SONG BECAUSE IT ISN'T THE SAAAAME YEEEAHHHHH https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaI5JCxOCdw |
| 68 |  | Pink Floyd
The Endless River
#68: It's What We Do. you know it's a great year when there's a new Pink Floyd album and only song is on a Rowan list holy moly https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb4CHveIS50 |
| 69 |  | Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties
We Don't Have Each Other
#69: Divorce and the American South. HEY DIANE COULD YOU PICK UP THE PHONE the most :-( song of the year https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn_-FgydQjo |
| 70 | | The Smith Street Band
Throw Me In The River
#70: The Arrogance of the Drunk Pedestrian. We'll keep on/through the shitstorm/until the metaphors are literal, forced screams are guttural/we'll keep on through the shitstorm/until the metaphors until the metaphoooors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZNpdlHHi5s |
| 71 |  | Rishloo
Living as Ghosts With Buildings as Teeth
#71: Dark Charade. Woo yeah gettin' into that mongi-core now! I wasn't really sure what to expect after they'd been gone for so long and I hadn't really listened to Feathergun and I was actually kinda curious to hear what the guitarist would sound like on lead vocals but thank god Andrew came back because he absolutely cleared the floor on this song oh and the other band members are pretty cool in it too because I SWEAR I'M FAR MORE CRAZY THAN THE RUMOURS MAKE ME OOOOOOUT TO BEEEEEEEEE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtgOEKrd2EE |
| 72 | | Cymbals Eat Guitars
LOSE
#72: Jackson. I DON'T WANNA DIE AT THE HANDS OF THE JACKSON WHITES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHSIHm3Zjr8 |
| 73 | | Damien Rice
My Favourite Faded Fantasy
#73: Long Long Way. Perfect relaxed closer to a dynamic album and one of the chillest songs of 2014. and you say not now, maybe laaaateeerrrr but not now, maybe laaaterrrr https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5yRKJ-gU48 |
| 74 |  | Manchester Orchestra
Hope
#74: Girl Harbor. good ol' Manchester even when they're in a slump they still deliver the goods and I still stand by my affirmation that Girl Harbor has the first truly raw emotional moment they've had in about six years with: "I know your faults/I know the WAY you WRITE them off/I don't want anything to do with it no more" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIdK6HSQOkM |
| 75 | | Aaron West and the Roaring West
We Don't Have Each Other
#75: St. Joe Keeps Us Safe. it's no aaron west eh yak? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xet9YZoZzho |
| 76 |  | Hammock
The Sleepover Series, Volume 2
#76: The Lonely Now. Now I picked this one not because it stands out from the rest of the album but actually the exact opposite: it represents the whole so well. Both Sleepovers should be listened to as one piece of music, I can't imagine it any other way, so take this inclusion to count as a microcosm of Volume 2 as a whole. Or don't, whatever, it's a free country man https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-ici7k7SMI |
| 77 | | St. Vincent
St. Vincent
#77: Digital Witness. PEOPLE TURN THE TV ON IT LOOKS JUST LIKE A WINDOW... yahhh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7LsBjrqqHA |
| 78 |  | sleepmakeswaves
Love of Cartography
#78: Something Like Avalanches. so good man https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zs1zO2xZWhA |
| 79 | | Gates
Bloom & Breathe
#79: The Thing That Would Save You. Now I gotta admit I didn't love this nearly as much as I was expecting to and I don't really get the big deal but this song delivers the goods at least https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERjrNQYAzjw |
| 80 |  | Snowday
As We Travel
#80: A Quiet Winter. Good god thank you to JohnnyOntheSpot aka my new fave user for bringing this some attention, it's absolutely beaut http://snowdaysnowday.bandcamp.com/album/as-we-travel |
| 81 |  | Old Man Gloom
The Ape of God II
#81: Arrows to our Hearts. Yeah yeah yeah yeah metal on a rowan list dry your eyes people this is good shit, no link available |
| 82 |  | Have A Nice Life
The Unnatural World
#82: Emptiness Will Eat the Witch. Song is absolutely totally completely and utterly unnerving and I love it. Still Deathconsciousness >>> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veuiqrwR-F0 |
| 83 |  | Thom Yorke
Tomorrow's Modern Boxes
#83: The Mother Lode. Real talk, Thom's solo stuff is most of the time nothing special and while his creativity and talent are always there it gets a little bit dull without Jonny and the boys (fingers crossed for the new RH soon). nevertheless this a proper jam for the year https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KGkMm8EpY4Y |
| 84 |  | Kimbra
The Golden Echo
#84: Miracle. SEND ME YA LOVE AGAIN COS YOU'RE MY MIRAAAACLLLEEEE YEEAAHHH YOU GOT ME STRAIGHT BEEEEELIIIIEVIN' IN A MIRACLE |
| 85 | | The Twilight Sad
Nobody Wants to be Here and Nobody Wants to Leave
#85: Leave the House. So whatdya caaare fooor cos there's no one in the right, no one in the right https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZ-cB2p06nk |
| 86 |  | Cooking With Caustic
From Mercury to Pluto
#86: Under the Carpet. Now, as far as albums that slipped under the radar go. FMTP is one of the funnest albums this year, a great mix of funk and instrumental hip-hop with a plethora (love that word: plethora) of guest spots from local Aussie hip-hop artists. The 20-song length is a bit daunting but it manages to maintain consistent throughout, with my standouts being the sultry, sexy Under the Carpet and the bangin' Natural Selection (whose music video was done by none other than my talented bro Patrick). Check em both out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VB-pwG83p4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv1YmLZ8vis |
| 87 |  | Nothing
Guilty of Everything
#87: B&E. great stuff here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q8-e986b0Xw |
| 88 |  | Old Man Gloom
The Ape of God I
#88: After You're Dead. RAWR RAWR DUHN DUHN DUHN |
| 89 | | Cooking With Caustic
From Mercury to Pluto
#89: A Trip to the Moon. Seriously guys check this though http://cookingwithcaustic.bandcamp.com/album/from-mercury-to-pluto |
| 90 | | A/T/O/S
A Taste of Struggle
#90: Variations. good stuff pots 'ppreciate it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm_CF-w2zZQ |
| 91 | | King Creosote
From Scotland With Love
#91: Miserable Strangers. More brilliant cynical Scottish goodness, no link |
| 92 | | Rishloo
Living as Ghosts With Buildings as Teeth
#92: Landmines. LEFT UP TO YOU I'D DROWN IN THE DESERT LEFT UP TO YOU I'D USE UP FOREVER CHOKING DOWN YOUR PLASTIC WATER https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMle586mIfc |
| 93 |  | D'Angelo
Black Messiah
#93: Another Life. smoothest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MTAnBM0ZdVI |
| 94 |  | Jakob
Sines
#94: Darkness. For artuma < 3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUkPnMO74xw |
| 95 |  | Whirr
Sway
#95: Sway. Distressor is best but this is still great stuff https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOsVMxcqqzo |
| 96 |  | A Sunny Day in Glasgow
Sea When Absent
#96: MTLOV. Absolute euphoria in song format - so fucking gorgeous. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cteF7LQY9o |
| 97 |  | Angels and Airwaves
The Dream Walker
#97: The Wolfpack. This one really came out of nowhere given a less-than-spectacular track record in the past, they delivered a really solid pop album with some great tunes and I really enjoyed and it ugh so sick of writing these we're nearly there folks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zxEw3QanhY |
| 98 |  | Jack White
Lazaretto
#98: Lazaretto. THEY THREW ME DOWN IN THE LAZARETTO - BORN ROTTEN BORN ROTTEN also that freakin' violin section https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qI-95cTMeLM |
| 99 |  | The Smashing Pumpkins
Monuments to an Elegy
#99: Tiberius. A solid enough comeback album, not the best and not the worst, but you gotta hand it to Tiberius as one hell of an opener, it just... well... it goes and goes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHMSDYtxsu4 |
| 100 |  | Weezer
Everything Will Be Alright In The End
#100: The British are Coming. Another great comeback album and a solid return to form, happy to see Rivers not sucking anymore, ahh who cares anymore just listen to the damn chorus of this song I mean it's SO CATCHY https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGUPsdOCZ-A |
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