Here is the best music we heard in the past year. Most, but not all, was also released in 2014. “I had a sparse year for new music” says Cory. “I wish I could say that I fell in love with more tunes this year. But, I have a deep, deep fondness for the records I did discover this year.”
Top 8 (in random order)
The War On Drugs, “Lost in the Dream” (2014) – The lyrics’ genuine heartache is held in tension with the mid-80s Bruce Hornsby-style production to pitch-perfect effect throughout this masterpiece. Brilliant and beautiful. -h
The Hold Steady, “Teeth Dreams” (2014) – I thought this was a pretty OK Hold Steady record. Then I thought it was good. Now, there are days I’d say it’s their best. Their arm’s-distance classic rock chops twist into poignant anthems of love, lonliness and getting by. -h
Kacey Musgraves, “Same Trailer, Different Park” (2013) – Last year, I heard “Merry-Go-Round,” which was the first official country song I’d ever loved. I put it on my Spotify playlist last year, and at the beginning of this year, I decided to give the whole album a shot. Ho-lee SH!T, is this one amazing. This is my favorite record in years. “I Miss You” goes on any and every playlist I make now, and the rest of the album is just masterfully written folk song after another. And on these songs, the country twang sounds genuine, rather than sounding like something the producers added to mediocre people to make it country-radio-ready. -Cory
Floor, “Oblation” (2014) – Steve Brooks puts the pre-Torche band back together for this set that mixes Floor’s bombed-out noise and Torche’s heavy major-key rippers. Hopefully they’ll stay together for another! -h
Wye Oak, “Shriek” (2014) – Unlike many fans, I trusted Wye Oak in their turn from guitars to synths. (Everybody, do what you got to do to keep it fresh!) It took me a few listens, but with “Glory” as my gateway, “Shriek” has taken its rightful place in the Wye Oak pantheon next to “Civilian.” -h
Haim, “Days are Gone” (2013) – I saw them perform “The Wire” on SNL and was surprised at how immediately catchy it was. Then, I got on the bandwagon. How can classic-sounding rock sound so new and fresh and young? The whole record is filled with killer guitar hooks, ’80s glam-rock production, catchy (uniquely delivered) melodies, and bitchin’ lyrics. They grabbed rock by the junk and tore it a new junk. -Cory
Taylor Swift, “1989” (2014) – This album is my latest pop obsession. She hasn’t been a real country artist for a long time (if ever), which is fine. She’s always been more of a folk-pop lady. This is her first full-on pop record (synths, dance beats, songs about New York), and she wears it well. “Shake it Off” and “Blank Space” are obvious winners, and “Style” and “Welcome to New York” are just as catchy. I am a Taylor Swift fan. -Cory
Yob, “Clearing the Path to Ascend” (2014) – This would have been the best metal album (and maybe the best album) of the year if it stopped halfway through “Marrow.” But it doesn’t, and you’ll have to listen for yourself to find out why it’s my song of the year. Yeah, they nail a modern-but-classically-rooted, slightly progressive doom sound, but “Clearing the Path to Ascend” is so much more than its genre or the sum of its parts. -h
Next 13 (also in random order)
Spoon, “They Want My Soul” (2014) – Listeners seemed to sleep on 2010’s “Transference” (though I didn’t, and now it’s getting a critical re-evaluation), but not the latest from Spoon. It gets catchy, gets weird, gets real, and gets specific in all the right places. -h
Juliana Barwick, “Nepenthe” (2013) – I was one year late on this looped, spacious, gossamer gem. It still stuns. -h
Run The Jewels, “Run The Jewels 2” (2014) – ABSOLUTELY UNFUCKWITHABLE. -h
Derek Jennings, “Bummertown” (2014) – This is a no-brainer. Derek (THE RETURN, The Ashtray Life, Sexual Jedi, full disclosure: MFR’s own D-Rockets) releases a long-awaited concise acoustically driven batch of songs that were instantly lovable, and that will soon grow on me like literally everything else he’s ever done. This guy is incapable of releasing bad (or even so-so) music. Do yourself a huge favor: Head on over to iTunes and pick this EP up for a measly $3.96. You can’t afford not to. -Cory
Peter and Gordon, “A World Without Love” (1964) – I’ve been listening to “A World Without Love” by Peter and Gordon (1964) on repeat for weeks. It’s my “Never My Love” by The Association of 2014: an old, sad-sounding song that hits me right in the heart. “A World Without Love” was written by Paul McCartney when he was 16 (!!!!!) and he eventually passed it on to Peter and Gordon because Paul didn’t think it was good enough for The Beatles. Oh my goodness. -Cory
St. Vincent, “St. Vincent” (2014) – Annie Clark goes so far down the hole of absolute control over her music that she circles back around to bare expression like a trip through a time portal. She’s a master songwriter and incredibly creative guitarist; there are reasons this is on everybody’s list. -h
Fugazi, “Lincoln, NE USA 4.17.01 – FLS0992” (2014) – My sole Fugazi show was finally released via their Fugazi Live Series this year. If you go to this show’s page at their site, you’ll see *my* ticket! -h
D’Angelo and the Vanguard, “Black Messiah” (2014) – Time – months or weeks, not years – will almost certainly put “Black Messiah” among the top releases of 2014. Eminently worth the wait since “VooDoo,” somehow speaking directly to the moment (#blacklivesmatter) though it’s been years in the making, “Black Messiah” is must-hear.
Electric Wizard, “Black Masses” (2010) – I’m naming this 2010 album, and not the new “Time To Die,” because it was my gateway into the Wizard this year, and it’s a hole I’ve fallen deeply down. -h
Pallbearer, “Foundations of Burden” (2014) – Devastating and dense; it’s taken me many (cathartic) listens to just get to the point where I feel I have a grip on this album, and there’s still much to explore. Weighed-down and cavernous, these Arkansas guys are on their own trip and I’m ready to follow wherever it leads. -h
Jessie Ware, “Tough Love” (2014) – Ware’s sophomore effort skews slightly poppier and more varied than her debut, but doesn’t disappoint. If “Cruel” doesn’t break your heart and win you over, check your pulse. -h
Paramore, “Paramore” (2013) – You got me again, pop-punk. I don’t really have much to say except that well-written pop songs are well-written pop songs, and Hayley Williams’ voice does it for me. “Still Into You” is incredible. -Cory
The New Pornographers, “Brill Bruisers” (2014) – A worthy addition to the Pornos’ discography, this time pumping up the neon synths a bit. The title track, “Champions of Red Wine,” and “You Tell Me Where” are highlights, but like their other albums this one continues to reveal new favorites the more I listen. -h
