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defrogWell, here we are again.
If there’s one thing I can say about 2014 in terms of new music, it’s this: there wasn’t a whole lot out there that really excited me.
Indeed, this is the first time in ages that I thought I might have to do just a Top 10 instead of a Top 20, as I wouldn't have enough new music to do the latter. As it is, I ended up with just 21 albums/EPs, so in a way this is more of a list of everything I felt was worth spending money on (and even then, one of them was given to me for free).
Part of this was due to budget constraints – which is ironic, because I now use iTunes to buy a lot of music, which is far cheaper than buying CDs from Amazon. But the temptation with iTunes is to buy more because it’s cheaper. So I do have to watch it. That said, I didn’t often come across music that made me think, “I MUST HAVE THIS.”
Maybe it was just a slow year. Or maybe I’ve finally become like my friends who have decided that all modern music sucks and the only good “new” music is old music you haven’t heard before. I’m not convinced of that. Then again, most “new” music I like is really either old bands who are still around or new bands looking to recreate old music.
Anyway, we’ll put the theory to the test in 2015.
Meanwhile, here’s what I listened to this year.
DISCLAIMER: Based on music I actually bought/acquired/downloaded/streamed between December 2013 and November 2014, and therefore a useless metric for everyone else. Also, the rankings on this list are sort of like Whose Line Is It Anyway: everything's made up and the points don't matter.
TOP 20 DEF LPs/EPs OF 2014
1. The Cambodian Space Project, Whiskey Cambodia (Metal Postcard)
2. Shonen Knife, Overdrive (Damnably)
3. Primus, Primus and The Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble (ATO/Prawn Song)
4. Tinariwen, Emmaar (Anti-)
5. The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger, Midnight Sun (Chimera Music)
6. The Budos Band, Burnt Offering (Daptone Records)
7. The Bombay Royale, The Island Of Dr Electrico (Hope Street Recordings)
8. Bob Mould, Beauty And Ruin (Merge)
9. Dan Sartain, Dudesblood (One Little Indian)
10. Holly Golightly And The Brokeoffs, All Her Fault (Transdreamer)
11. Nanowar Of Steel, A Knight At The Opera (Nanowar CC)
12. Tom Vek, Luck (Moshi Moshi)
13. Archie Bronson Outfit, Wild Crush (Domino)
14. The Pancakes, Sometimes When We Cry (Rewind Records)
15. OFF!, Wasted Years (Vice)
16. Special Thanks x Mix Market, Rock 'n' Roll (K.O.G.A. Records)
17. The Raveonettes, Pe'ahi (Beat Dies Records)
18. Blonde Redhead, Barragán (Hostess)
19. Allah-Las, Worship The Sun (Innovative Leisure)
20. Neil Young, A Letter Home (Reprise/Third Man)
==================================================
TOP 20 DEF LPs/EPs OF 2014: EXTENDED PLAY
1. The Cambodian Space Project, Whiskey Cambodia (Metal Postcard)
Third LP from Cambodian 60s psych-rock revivalists, and arguably their best set yet. Five covers, five originals, funk-guitar legend Dennis Coffey produces and guests. What more could you ask for? Equal parts stunning and good clean fun.
2. Shonen Knife, Overdrive (Damnably)
After 30+ years on the job, Shonen Knife finally demonstrate that their influences extend beyond the Ramones and Redd Kross. This album draws more from classic 70s rock, with Thin Lizzy, Sweet, T.Rex and (possibly) Black Sabbath as reference points. The result is a refreshing update to the classic SK sound. It may not have been broke, but they’ve certainly fixed it.
3. Primus, Primus and The Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble (ATO/Prawn Song)
Leave it to Primus to do an album covering the entire soundtrack to Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. It sounds pretty much like you’d expect: Les Claypool bends the songs completely out of shape, but not to the point of making them unrecognizable. And the material suits both his musical style and his cartoonish drawl.
4. Tinariwen, Emmaar (Anti-)
Sixth album from the band with the most hardcore CV in rock music (Tuareg nomad warriors from Mali). This was recorded in Joshua Tree National Park – mainly because a Tuareg rebellion forced them to flee Mali. Whereas their previous album was more stripped down and acoustic, this is a return to their electric desert blues sound – beautifully hypnotic as always.
5. The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger, Midnight Sun (Chimera Music)
I wouldn’t have expected one of my Top 5 albums to include Sean Lennon. But it does, thanks to this third release from The GOASST, his band with girlfriend/model Charlotte Kemp Muhl. Which on paper doesn’t sound promising (Son Of Famous Musician + Girlfriend/Model). But it’s pretty compelling psychedelic sunshine pagan rock with left-field chord changes locked down by really tight vocal harmonies.
6. The Budos Band, Burnt Offering (Daptone Records)
Fourth album from Brooklyn band that trades in instrumental Afro-Soul, but with added twang. Some people have compared them to early Chicago, which I can see if Chicago had been more heavily influenced by jazz-funk, Link Wray, Tolkien and grindhouse films. Anyway, it’s pretty groovy, and it’s grown on me in the last few months.
7. The Bombay Royale, The Island Of Dr Electrico (Hope Street Recordings)
You find the darnedest things noodling around in the World Music section on iTunes. Like this band from Melbourne, Australia that basically write soundtracks for imaginary ‘60s Bollywood films. This is their second album, and as all the lyrics are in Hindi or Bengali, I don’t understand a word of it. But boy is it fun – which is the whole point of Bollywood songs, really.
8. Bob Mould, Beauty And Ruin (Merge)
I confess, after the brilliant fury of 2012’s The Silver Age, Mould’s latest was a bit of a letdown, if only because not every song grabs you by the throat on first pass. Which is odd because it contains several songs that are almost as fast as his classic Husker Du era. But there’s still a lot to love here, and some of the weaker (by comparison) songs are growing on me. So it’s cool.
9. Dan Sartain, Dudesblood (One Little Indian)
Seventh album from singer/songwriter Sartain that sports a little more variety than previous albums, which have focused mainly on rockabilly/blues ballads, or – in the case of his previous LP – Ramones tribute songs. This one has a little bit of all of that, plus a few homages to British punk. Funny and moving.
10. Holly Golightly And The Brokeoffs, All Her Fault (Transdreamer)
Holly Golightly has a long discography, but this is her seventh with The Brokeoffs. Essentially it’s more of the same – junkyard country blues with an ironic American Gothic twist – but if you like Golightly, that’s not really a bad thing.
11. Nanowar Of Steel, A Knight At The Opera (Nanowar CC)
Third album from the world’s only (possibly) gay Italian Manowar parody band. It’s not exactly “new”, as it’s a mix of new songs and old songs re-recorded for the album (plus four versions of the same song in different languages), but close enough. It’s great if you like metal bands that mock other metal bands that take themselves too seriously.
12. Tom Vek, Luck (Moshi Moshi)
Third album from singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Vek, who specializes in 80s-influenced alt-pop and sounds a little like Sting. Wait, come back! It’s actually pretty good, though I’m a little more fascinated with Vek’s arrangements and synths than the songs themselves. Still, I did find it somewhat fascinating at times.
13. Archie Bronson Outfit, Wild Crush (Domino)
Fourth album from ABO, who seem to have found a middle ground between their great blues-drenched second album Derdang Derdang and their not-so-great keyboard-drenched follow-up Coconut. Wild Crush has a little more groove going for it, which makes for some more memorable songs than the previous album.
14. The Pancakes, Sometimes When We Cry (Rewind Records)
Album no. 10 from Hong Kong-based DIY indie pop veteran Dejay Choi. This is arguably her darkest album lyrically, although the music is as delightfully quirky and playful as ever, which has a somewhat jarring effect. She also enlisted some live drummers for this album, which gives it a more organic feel.
15. OFF!, Wasted Years (Vice)
Second album from Keith Morris’ project to bring back the 80s LA Hardcore sound. This one sounds more Circle Jerks than Black Flag, but if you liked either band you’ll get something out of this.
16. SpecialThanks x Mix Market, Rock 'n' Roll (K.O.G.A. Records)
Split EP from two Japanese girl-fronted pop-punk bands, one of which – Mix Market – I’ve been a fan of for years. I’d never heard of SpecialThanks, but I have now, and they follow the galloping-pop-punk formula pretty closely. Mix Market, meanwhile, continue to vary their ska-punk sound just enough to stand out from the crowd. The lead-off collaboration track, “Rock’n’Roll Dance”, is pure pop candy.
17. The Raveonettes, Pe'ahi (Beat Dies Records)
Seventh full-length album from Denmark duo whose life mission is to combine JAMC and the Everly Brothers into one sound. This is one of their more fuzzed-out records, and also one of their more experimental albums (with harps and choirs thrown in occasionally). As usual, it’s dark stuff set to heartbreaking fuzzpop, and there is some filler, but when it works, the effects are pretty visceral.
18. Blonde Redhead, Barragán (Hostess)
This is Blonde Redhead’s ninth LP, in which they swapped out their melancholy dreamscape sound for something more stripped down and organic. I confess I’m still not sure what to make of it, but then that’s typical of a number of BR releases: they’re uneasy listening at first, but they also command repeat listens until they grow on you.
19. Allah-Las, Worship The Sun (Innovative Leisure)
Second album from LA band out to recreate the sound of the Byrds, The Yardbirds and The Seeds. I liked their debut a lot, but this follow-up doesn’t have quite as many compelling tunes. Still, some of it works, but mainly while yr listening to it. Very little of it actually sticks.
20. Neil Young, A Letter Home (Reprise/Third Man)
Leave it to Neil Young to not only release two albums in one year, but two albums that go to opposite extremes. Storytone featured a 92-piece orchestra. A Letter Home was recorded in Jack White’s Voice-o-Graph vinyl recording booth. I went with the latter. Sure, it’s a gimmick, but it’s one that plays to Young’s strengths. However, it doesn’t invite repeated listens, either. As Neil Young music projects go it’s interesting, but not essential.
And there it is.
Same time next year,
This is dF
If there’s one thing I can say about 2014 in terms of new music, it’s this: there wasn’t a whole lot out there that really excited me.
Indeed, this is the first time in ages that I thought I might have to do just a Top 10 instead of a Top 20, as I wouldn't have enough new music to do the latter. As it is, I ended up with just 21 albums/EPs, so in a way this is more of a list of everything I felt was worth spending money on (and even then, one of them was given to me for free).
Part of this was due to budget constraints – which is ironic, because I now use iTunes to buy a lot of music, which is far cheaper than buying CDs from Amazon. But the temptation with iTunes is to buy more because it’s cheaper. So I do have to watch it. That said, I didn’t often come across music that made me think, “I MUST HAVE THIS.”
Maybe it was just a slow year. Or maybe I’ve finally become like my friends who have decided that all modern music sucks and the only good “new” music is old music you haven’t heard before. I’m not convinced of that. Then again, most “new” music I like is really either old bands who are still around or new bands looking to recreate old music.
Anyway, we’ll put the theory to the test in 2015.
Meanwhile, here’s what I listened to this year.
DISCLAIMER: Based on music I actually bought/acquired/downloaded/streamed between December 2013 and November 2014, and therefore a useless metric for everyone else. Also, the rankings on this list are sort of like Whose Line Is It Anyway: everything's made up and the points don't matter.
TOP 20 DEF LPs/EPs OF 2014
1. The Cambodian Space Project, Whiskey Cambodia (Metal Postcard)
2. Shonen Knife, Overdrive (Damnably)
3. Primus, Primus and The Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble (ATO/Prawn Song)
4. Tinariwen, Emmaar (Anti-)
5. The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger, Midnight Sun (Chimera Music)
6. The Budos Band, Burnt Offering (Daptone Records)
7. The Bombay Royale, The Island Of Dr Electrico (Hope Street Recordings)
8. Bob Mould, Beauty And Ruin (Merge)
9. Dan Sartain, Dudesblood (One Little Indian)
10. Holly Golightly And The Brokeoffs, All Her Fault (Transdreamer)
11. Nanowar Of Steel, A Knight At The Opera (Nanowar CC)
12. Tom Vek, Luck (Moshi Moshi)
13. Archie Bronson Outfit, Wild Crush (Domino)
14. The Pancakes, Sometimes When We Cry (Rewind Records)
15. OFF!, Wasted Years (Vice)
16. Special Thanks x Mix Market, Rock 'n' Roll (K.O.G.A. Records)
17. The Raveonettes, Pe'ahi (Beat Dies Records)
18. Blonde Redhead, Barragán (Hostess)
19. Allah-Las, Worship The Sun (Innovative Leisure)
20. Neil Young, A Letter Home (Reprise/Third Man)
==================================================
TOP 20 DEF LPs/EPs OF 2014: EXTENDED PLAY
1. The Cambodian Space Project, Whiskey Cambodia (Metal Postcard)
Third LP from Cambodian 60s psych-rock revivalists, and arguably their best set yet. Five covers, five originals, funk-guitar legend Dennis Coffey produces and guests. What more could you ask for? Equal parts stunning and good clean fun.
2. Shonen Knife, Overdrive (Damnably)
After 30+ years on the job, Shonen Knife finally demonstrate that their influences extend beyond the Ramones and Redd Kross. This album draws more from classic 70s rock, with Thin Lizzy, Sweet, T.Rex and (possibly) Black Sabbath as reference points. The result is a refreshing update to the classic SK sound. It may not have been broke, but they’ve certainly fixed it.
3. Primus, Primus and The Chocolate Factory with the Fungi Ensemble (ATO/Prawn Song)
Leave it to Primus to do an album covering the entire soundtrack to Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Factory. It sounds pretty much like you’d expect: Les Claypool bends the songs completely out of shape, but not to the point of making them unrecognizable. And the material suits both his musical style and his cartoonish drawl.
4. Tinariwen, Emmaar (Anti-)
Sixth album from the band with the most hardcore CV in rock music (Tuareg nomad warriors from Mali). This was recorded in Joshua Tree National Park – mainly because a Tuareg rebellion forced them to flee Mali. Whereas their previous album was more stripped down and acoustic, this is a return to their electric desert blues sound – beautifully hypnotic as always.
5. The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger, Midnight Sun (Chimera Music)
I wouldn’t have expected one of my Top 5 albums to include Sean Lennon. But it does, thanks to this third release from The GOASST, his band with girlfriend/model Charlotte Kemp Muhl. Which on paper doesn’t sound promising (Son Of Famous Musician + Girlfriend/Model). But it’s pretty compelling psychedelic sunshine pagan rock with left-field chord changes locked down by really tight vocal harmonies.
6. The Budos Band, Burnt Offering (Daptone Records)
Fourth album from Brooklyn band that trades in instrumental Afro-Soul, but with added twang. Some people have compared them to early Chicago, which I can see if Chicago had been more heavily influenced by jazz-funk, Link Wray, Tolkien and grindhouse films. Anyway, it’s pretty groovy, and it’s grown on me in the last few months.
7. The Bombay Royale, The Island Of Dr Electrico (Hope Street Recordings)
You find the darnedest things noodling around in the World Music section on iTunes. Like this band from Melbourne, Australia that basically write soundtracks for imaginary ‘60s Bollywood films. This is their second album, and as all the lyrics are in Hindi or Bengali, I don’t understand a word of it. But boy is it fun – which is the whole point of Bollywood songs, really.
8. Bob Mould, Beauty And Ruin (Merge)
I confess, after the brilliant fury of 2012’s The Silver Age, Mould’s latest was a bit of a letdown, if only because not every song grabs you by the throat on first pass. Which is odd because it contains several songs that are almost as fast as his classic Husker Du era. But there’s still a lot to love here, and some of the weaker (by comparison) songs are growing on me. So it’s cool.
9. Dan Sartain, Dudesblood (One Little Indian)
Seventh album from singer/songwriter Sartain that sports a little more variety than previous albums, which have focused mainly on rockabilly/blues ballads, or – in the case of his previous LP – Ramones tribute songs. This one has a little bit of all of that, plus a few homages to British punk. Funny and moving.
10. Holly Golightly And The Brokeoffs, All Her Fault (Transdreamer)
Holly Golightly has a long discography, but this is her seventh with The Brokeoffs. Essentially it’s more of the same – junkyard country blues with an ironic American Gothic twist – but if you like Golightly, that’s not really a bad thing.
11. Nanowar Of Steel, A Knight At The Opera (Nanowar CC)
Third album from the world’s only (possibly) gay Italian Manowar parody band. It’s not exactly “new”, as it’s a mix of new songs and old songs re-recorded for the album (plus four versions of the same song in different languages), but close enough. It’s great if you like metal bands that mock other metal bands that take themselves too seriously.
12. Tom Vek, Luck (Moshi Moshi)
Third album from singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Vek, who specializes in 80s-influenced alt-pop and sounds a little like Sting. Wait, come back! It’s actually pretty good, though I’m a little more fascinated with Vek’s arrangements and synths than the songs themselves. Still, I did find it somewhat fascinating at times.
13. Archie Bronson Outfit, Wild Crush (Domino)
Fourth album from ABO, who seem to have found a middle ground between their great blues-drenched second album Derdang Derdang and their not-so-great keyboard-drenched follow-up Coconut. Wild Crush has a little more groove going for it, which makes for some more memorable songs than the previous album.
14. The Pancakes, Sometimes When We Cry (Rewind Records)
Album no. 10 from Hong Kong-based DIY indie pop veteran Dejay Choi. This is arguably her darkest album lyrically, although the music is as delightfully quirky and playful as ever, which has a somewhat jarring effect. She also enlisted some live drummers for this album, which gives it a more organic feel.
15. OFF!, Wasted Years (Vice)
Second album from Keith Morris’ project to bring back the 80s LA Hardcore sound. This one sounds more Circle Jerks than Black Flag, but if you liked either band you’ll get something out of this.
16. SpecialThanks x Mix Market, Rock 'n' Roll (K.O.G.A. Records)
Split EP from two Japanese girl-fronted pop-punk bands, one of which – Mix Market – I’ve been a fan of for years. I’d never heard of SpecialThanks, but I have now, and they follow the galloping-pop-punk formula pretty closely. Mix Market, meanwhile, continue to vary their ska-punk sound just enough to stand out from the crowd. The lead-off collaboration track, “Rock’n’Roll Dance”, is pure pop candy.
17. The Raveonettes, Pe'ahi (Beat Dies Records)
Seventh full-length album from Denmark duo whose life mission is to combine JAMC and the Everly Brothers into one sound. This is one of their more fuzzed-out records, and also one of their more experimental albums (with harps and choirs thrown in occasionally). As usual, it’s dark stuff set to heartbreaking fuzzpop, and there is some filler, but when it works, the effects are pretty visceral.
18. Blonde Redhead, Barragán (Hostess)
This is Blonde Redhead’s ninth LP, in which they swapped out their melancholy dreamscape sound for something more stripped down and organic. I confess I’m still not sure what to make of it, but then that’s typical of a number of BR releases: they’re uneasy listening at first, but they also command repeat listens until they grow on you.
19. Allah-Las, Worship The Sun (Innovative Leisure)
Second album from LA band out to recreate the sound of the Byrds, The Yardbirds and The Seeds. I liked their debut a lot, but this follow-up doesn’t have quite as many compelling tunes. Still, some of it works, but mainly while yr listening to it. Very little of it actually sticks.
20. Neil Young, A Letter Home (Reprise/Third Man)
Leave it to Neil Young to not only release two albums in one year, but two albums that go to opposite extremes. Storytone featured a 92-piece orchestra. A Letter Home was recorded in Jack White’s Voice-o-Graph vinyl recording booth. I went with the latter. Sure, it’s a gimmick, but it’s one that plays to Young’s strengths. However, it doesn’t invite repeated listens, either. As Neil Young music projects go it’s interesting, but not essential.
And there it is.
Same time next year,
This is dF
