I think we can all agree that 2014 isn’t one of the years we’ll look back on with many (or any) fond feelings… However, it was a decent year for music! We had two long-awaited releases from Aphex Twin & D’Angelo finally drop and they were both well worth the 10+ year wait, along with many most excellent third or fourth records that showed real evolution and songwriting refinement (looking at you TVOTR, Restorations, SVE and Frontier Ruckus).
So, here are my top 23 albums of 2014! Please note these are MY favorite records, not the ones I think were the most influential or important (sorry, Ms. Swift).
I took a song from each album and put into a little podcast for y’all. Consider it a late X-Mas or early New Years present, but give it a chance either way. If anything, it’s a way to have an hour and a half of curated listening, for free! Now where on Earth are you going to find something like… that?
(Click the image or the link underneath it to download)
Top 23 of 2014: Well Fuck That.
23. Mogwai – “Die 1 Dislike” from Rave Tapes
22. Dum Dum Girls – “Evil Blooms” from Too True
21. Jenny Lewis – “The New You” from The Voyager
20. Death from Above 1979 – “Always On” from The Physical World
19. Got A Girl – “Put Your Head Down” from I Love You But I Must Drive Off This Cliff Now
18. ANTEMASQUE – “People Forget” from S/T
17. The Once – “You Lead, I Will Follow” from Departures
16. Orcas – “Half Light” from Yearling
15. The Glitch Mob – “Skytoucher” from Love Death Immortality
14. First Aid Kit – “My Silver Lining” from Stay Gold
13. Shellac – “Dude Incredible” from Dude Incredible
12. Juliana – “Way To Go” from Slow Love
11. Alcest – “Shelter” from Shelter
10. The Hotelier – “Housebroken” from Home, Like No Place Is There
9. The War on Drugs – “An Ocean In Between The Waves” from Lost in the Dream
8. Aphex Twin – “Minipops 67 (Source Field Mix) from Syro
7. Sharon Van Etten – “Taking Chances” from Are We There
6. D’Angelo and The Vanguard – “Betray My Heart” from Black Messiah
5. Dragging an Ox Through Water – “Mint of the Seasons” from Panic Sentry
4. TV on the Radio – “Ride” from Seeds
3. Tycho – “See” from Awake
2. Restorations – “No Castle” from LP3
1. Frontier Ruckus – “Crabapples in the Century’s Storm” from Sitcom Afterlife
@oats23 