Best albums of 2014 (1 Viewer)

[Northern Voice]

Parquet courts album is really good.

 

[Northern Voice]

Total Control - Typical System is awesome.

The comparison I would make is New Order, with it sometimes dropping into the darker late 70s style post-punk (Television/Joy Division) and sometimes going into more poppier early 80s synthpop (Human League, Roxy Music).

"Flesh War"

"Black Spring"

 

[Northern Voice]

Love Parquet Courts "Black and White", could be a song of the year contender along with ... "Jealous (I Ain't With It) by Chromeo (potential loss of credibility here, but it is an earworm).

http://open.spotify.com/track/3R5FA1Ay1NxgtwbElR78by

Also wearing out the Spotify on Tune-Yards - nikki nack

http://open.spotify.com/user/kupcho1/playlist/7gCxw2G5yLcwRSyD9ExiRY

New TPOBPAH "Days of Abandon"

http://open.spotify.com/user/kupcho1/playlist/0pxUJnSDdeScndq5hzHJSK

Do we have a songs thread going? I've been getting caught up on my best songs of 2014 playlist (which has lots of pop/electronic stuff as well as indie stuff), I could get some in here if people are interested, only thing is my non-spotify country. I can upload, or, while everyone here was waiting for Spotify/Pandora/Beats, etc... Google Play Music just did a full launch in Canada and I can use it.

 

[wazoo11]

Sharon Van Etten's Are We There

For those who are interested in singer-songwriter stuff.

Streaming link here

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Divine Fits side-project comes out june 10.

 

[Disco Stu]

Ought - "More Than Any Other Day"

Like the music, really trying to accept the "vocals". It's an album that will probably grow on me the more I listen to it. If you like Parquet Courts then you should at least give it a spin or two.

Damon Albarn - "Everyday Robots"

Yep, the same guy from Blur/Gorillaz ilk. It surrounds you in loneliness and melancholy but still allows you to bob your head. It's not bad but If I was going to listen to music like this I'd just throw on The National instead.

I like both of these.

"Robots" is like a low-key TVOTR album.

 

[Northern Voice]

Divine Fits side-project comes out june 10.

Is this 'Operators', the Dan Boeckner group? I hadn't seen a release date for it yet. The last Handsome Furs album "Sound Kapital" is one of my favourites of the last few years (IMO, it's better than the Divine Fits album).

 

[Good Posting Judge]

Divine Fits side-project comes out june 10.

Is this 'Operators', the Dan Boeckner group? I hadn't seen a release date for it yet. The last Handsome Furs album "Sound Kapital" is one of my favourites of the last few years (IMO, it's better than the Divine Fits album).

Oh yeah there's that.

I was talking about the new Spoon mp3 folder.

 

[Northern Voice]

For those who like Haim's album last year, I give you Mr. Little Jeans debut album 'Pocketknife'. Norwegian band with throwback 80s pop sound that rules.

A couple samples:

"Good Mistake"

"Mercy"

 

[Northern Voice]

Divine Fits side-project comes out june 10.

Is this 'Operators', the Dan Boeckner group? I hadn't seen a release date for it yet. The last Handsome Furs album "Sound Kapital" is one of my favourites of the last few years (IMO, it's better than the Divine Fits album).

Oh yeah there's that.

I was talking about the new Spoon mp3 folder.

Right

 

[El Floppo]

Really liked the Hockey Nights you guys posted... thanks.

Also liking from this year- and nto sure if mentioned yet:

Angel Olsen- Burn your Fire for no Witness (Forgiven/Forgotten)

 

[Brony]

For those who like Haim's album last year, I give you Mr. Little Jeans debut album 'Pocketknife'. Norwegian band with throwback 80s pop sound that rules.

A couple samples:

"Good Mistake"

"Mercy"

My kind of music. Thanks! I know I've heard one of their tunes in the last month, but I didn't flag it as a favorite.

 

[Fly]

Conor Oberst's new album "Upside Down Mountain" is actually pretty good. (Or maybe it just feels that way because my expectations were pretty low to begin with.) Way less angst-y than his early days. Musically It feels almost like a missing album between "I'm Wide Awake" and "Cassadaga".

 

[Northern Voice]

Love Parquet Courts "Black and White", could be a song of the year contender along with ... "Jealous (I Ain't With It) by Chromeo (potential loss of credibility here, but it is an earworm).

http://open.spotify.com/track/3R5FA1Ay1NxgtwbElR78by

Also wearing out the Spotify on Tune-Yards - nikki nack

http://open.spotify.com/user/kupcho1/playlist/7gCxw2G5yLcwRSyD9ExiRY

New TPOBPAH "Days of Abandon"

http://open.spotify.com/user/kupcho1/playlist/0pxUJnSDdeScndq5hzHJSK

Do we have a songs thread going? I've been getting caught up on my best songs of 2014 playlist (which has lots of pop/electronic stuff as well as indie stuff), I could get some in here if people are interested, only thing is my non-spotify country. I can upload, or, while everyone here was waiting for Spotify/Pandora/Beats, etc... Google Play Music just did a full launch in Canada and I can use it.

Here's a rough draft of my favourite songs so far (Spotify working temporarily for me on a new account, so hopefully you can see it) - 25 songs, 2 hours. More poppy, in the vein of the year end singles lists I've done before that many people love to hate/hate to love.

https://play.spotify.com/user/northernvoice/playlist/1Dylm11owfF3u5HjfY06xU

Track Listing:

Spoiler

Solo Dancing - Indiana

Let Me Down Gently - La Roux

Last Words - Hospitality

Wanderlust - Wild Beasts

Seasons (Waiting on You) - Future Islands

Partition - Beyonce

Do It Again - Robyn/Royksopp

Holding on For Life - Broken Bells

I'm Not Part of Me - Cloud Nothings

Ain't it Fun - Paramore

Good Mistake - Mr. Little Jeans

Black and White - Parquet Courts

Birth in Reverse - St. Vincent

Johnny and Mary - Todd Terje

Good Sex - Kevin Drew

An Ocean in Between the Waves - The War on Drugs

Moving to the Left - Woods

Charge - Elbow

Crouching Bees - Fight Like Apes

Hot and Cold - Ex Hex

So Now You Know - the Horrors

Mess on a Mission - Liars

Argentina - Tokyo Police Club

Habit - Ought

Gunshot - Lykke Li

 

[JZilla]

Ought and Parquet Courts are a little hit and miss for me but overall pretty good. Mac DeMarco is really good and is currently my go-to when there's a lady in the car.

 

[Nigel Tufnel]

Ought and Parquet Courts are a little hit and miss for me but overall pretty good. Mac DeMarco is really good and is currently my go-to when there's a lady in the car.

Parquet Courts are like a punk Johnny Cash. They have some awesome chugging grooves.

 

[Northern Voice]

Ought and Parquet Courts are a little hit and miss for me but overall pretty good. Mac DeMarco is really good and is currently my go-to when there's a lady in the car.

I've only listened to Ought once and I recognize that it's different and good, just not sure if it'll be something I come back to a ton.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Buffalo Killers- heavy Reverie just released. Just started listening to it, but I already know this will be one of my favorites this year.

will have to check this out. I like their previous stuff, really like some of their earlier tunes on their debut

 

[Kenny Powers]

Parquet Courts new album - is it streaming yet?

This song rules.http://m.pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/16936-parquet-courts-instant-disassembly/

Parquet Courts reminds me so much of Hockey Night. Remember them? Before the crappy Free Energy stuff. When they were on Lookout!?

http://www.musicline.de/de/player_flash/0763361931528/0/10/50/product

Better link: http://grooveshark.com/#!/search/song?q=Hockey%20Night%20Angel%20Hair

I've heard one album. Thought they sounded like Pavement. I have a soft spot for Free Energy. My kids love them. Parquet Courts leaked btw.

Yeah, Hockey Night sounds a lot like Pavement.

Back in 2005 (?) fusing Pavement and garage-punk hit a sweet spot for me.

I do really like Parquet Courts. No doubt. Did not like the first track off of their new album, though.

Funny your kids like Free Energy. I can't judge it, I just heard them and went...argh. I really liked Hockey Night's sound.

Free Energy is dumb roller rink rock, but they know their way around a hook IMO.

I feel the same way about Manchester Orchestra.

Saw Manchester Orchestra this past Weds, they were solid...Whether you call it a hook or a riff, Andy Hull knows whats up. My only complaint is they played just over 80 minutes.

Also like their new album Cope, better than their last album IMO.

 

[Kenny Powers]

Ought - "More Than Any Other Day"

Like the music, really trying to accept the "vocals". It's an album that will probably grow on me the more I listen to it. If you like Parquet Courts then you should at least give it a spin or two.

Damon Albarn - "Everyday Robots"

Yep, the same guy from Blur/Gorillaz ilk. It surrounds you in loneliness and melancholy but still allows you to bob your head. It's not bad but If I was going to listen to music like this I'd just throw on The National instead.

I like both of these.

"Robots" is like a low-key TVOTR album.

Ought - "More Than Any Other Day"

Like the music, really trying to accept the "vocals". It's an album that will probably grow on me the more I listen to it. If you like Parquet Courts then you should at least give it a spin or two.

Damon Albarn - "Everyday Robots"

Yep, the same guy from Blur/Gorillaz ilk. It surrounds you in loneliness and melancholy but still allows you to bob your head. It's not bad but If I was going to listen to music like this I'd just throw on The National instead.

I like both of these.

"Robots" is like a low-key TVOTR album.

Cookie Mountain/Dear Science TVOTR or the last one?

 

[Kenny Powers]

Conor Oberst's new album "Upside Down Mountain" is actually pretty good. (Or maybe it just feels that way because my expectations were pretty low to begin with.) Way less angst-y than his early days. Musically It feels almost like a missing album between "I'm Wide Awake" and "Cassadaga".

I avoided Oberst for a long time, but when the MOF album came out and his songs were most of my favorites on that i knew I had to check more of his #### out, Still havent really gone back in his discog, but I need to

 

[Ketamine Dreams]

So far this year my top picks would be:

Future Islands

War On Drugs

Doug Paisley

Sturgill Simpson

Just listened to the Sturgill Simpson album a few times all the way through and agree it's very very good.

 

[Northern Voice]

Conor Oberst's new album "Upside Down Mountain" is actually pretty good. (Or maybe it just feels that way because my expectations were pretty low to begin with.) Way less angst-y than his early days. Musically It feels almost like a missing album between "I'm Wide Awake" and "Cassadaga".

I avoided Oberst for a long time, but when the MOF album came out and his songs were most of my favorites on that i knew I had to check more of his #### out, Still havent really gone back in his discog, but I need to

Just don't go too far back, you may want to self-harm.

 

[Tick]

Here's a rough draft of my favourite songs so far (Spotify working temporarily for me on a new account, so hopefully you can see it) - 25 songs, 2 hours. More poppy, in the vein of the year end singles lists I've done before that many people love to hate/hate to love.


https://play.spotify.com/user/northernvoice/playlist/1Dylm11owfF3u5HjfY06xU

Track Listing:

Spoiler

Solo Dancing - Indiana

Let Me Down Gently - La Roux

Last Words - Hospitality

Wanderlust - Wild Beasts

Seasons (Waiting on You) - Future Islands

Partition - Beyonce

Do It Again - Robyn/Royksopp

Holding on For Life - Broken Bells

I'm Not Part of Me - Cloud Nothings

Ain't it Fun - Paramore

Good Mistake - Mr. Little Jeans

Black and White - Parquet Courts

Birth in Reverse - St. Vincent

Johnny and Mary - Todd Terje

Good Sex - Kevin Drew

An Ocean in Between the Waves - The War on Drugs

Moving to the Left - Woods

Charge - Elbow

Crouching Bees - Fight Like Apes

Hot and Cold - Ex Hex

So Now You Know - the Horrors

Mess on a Mission - Liars

Argentina - Tokyo Police Club

Habit - Ought

Gunshot - Lykke Li

Thanks, NV.

It's freaky how much your taste and mine come so close to each other without ever overlapping. I feel like we could listen to the same album, both love it, and still disagree on every single song. You'd love the odd tracks and I'd love the even tracks, and we'd both say we like the band and the album.

 

[Northern Voice]

Thoughts about the new Tokyo Police Club album "Forcefield".

1. It's not as good as 'Champ', which I ignored at first and ended up being one my favourite albums of the last 5 years. This one is much more pop oriented.

2. The first song on Forcefield, 'Argentina' is fantastic, all 8 minutes of it. 'Hot Tonight' is an obvious attempt at a mainstream summer rock hit, but it is being played over Jays highlights every 10 minutes up here, so maybe it will be successful. I also like 'Toy Guns' and 'Miserable' a fair bit as well.

3. This drives me crazy - this album is mastered/mixed WAY LOUDER than anything I've heard in years. I had one of the songs in the middle of a playlist with my headphones on and it scared the #### out of me when it came on. I downloaded a different version to make sure it wasn't just a bad copy and it was the same - sure enough, the comments at what are full of people saying the same thing. I thought this "loudness war" stuff ended years ago. It's mixed like a 2001 Goo Goo Dolls album and more than anything else it may be why I don't listen to it as much as I would their past stuff.

 

[Apple Juice]

Thoughts about the new Tokyo Police Club album "Forcefield".

1. It's not as good as 'Champ', which I ignored at first and ended up being one my favourite albums of the last 5 years. This one is much more pop oriented.

2. The first song on Forcefield, 'Argentina' is fantastic, all 8 minutes of it. 'Hot Tonight' is an obvious attempt at a mainstream summer rock hit, but it is being played over Jays highlights every 10 minutes up here, so maybe it will be successful. I also like 'Toy Guns' and 'Miserable' a fair bit as well.

3. This drives me crazy - this album is mastered/mixed WAY LOUDER than anything I've heard in years. I had one of the songs in the middle of a playlist with my headphones on and it scared the #### out of me when it came on. I downloaded a different version to make sure it wasn't just a bad copy and it was the same - sure enough, the comments at what are full of people saying the same thing. I thought this "loudness war" stuff ended years ago. It's mixed like a 2001 Goo Goo Dolls album and more than anything else it may be why I don't listen to it as much as I would their past stuff.

I'm a fan of all their albums...first listen I thought this one was terrible. Since they seemed to be going straight-up accessible pop songs I thought I wouldn't change my mind, either I liked it or I didn't, but all the hooks grew on me and now I listen to it quite a bit.

Agree it's odd how loud it is. They've never had such a clean sound before, maybe it made them nervous and they overcompensated.

 

[JZilla]

New Bob Mould isn't bad but I liked Silver Age better..

 

[Northern Voice]

Thoughts about the new Tokyo Police Club album "Forcefield".

1. It's not as good as 'Champ', which I ignored at first and ended up being one my favourite albums of the last 5 years. This one is much more pop oriented.

2. The first song on Forcefield, 'Argentina' is fantastic, all 8 minutes of it. 'Hot Tonight' is an obvious attempt at a mainstream summer rock hit, but it is being played over Jays highlights every 10 minutes up here, so maybe it will be successful. I also like 'Toy Guns' and 'Miserable' a fair bit as well.

3. This drives me crazy - this album is mastered/mixed WAY LOUDER than anything I've heard in years. I had one of the songs in the middle of a playlist with my headphones on and it scared the #### out of me when it came on. I downloaded a different version to make sure it wasn't just a bad copy and it was the same - sure enough, the comments at what are full of people saying the same thing. I thought this "loudness war" stuff ended years ago. It's mixed like a 2001 Goo Goo Dolls album and more than anything else it may be why I don't listen to it as much as I would their past stuff.

I'm a fan of all their albums...first listen I thought this one was terrible.

Same for me, but it's grown. I listened to it in the sun by a lake on the weekend and that's basically the ideal setting for it.

 

[Northern Voice]

I thought someone had already mentioned it, but I don't see it now. "Soft Opening" by Posse is good. Guy/Girl vocals over sparse indie rock. The Pitchfork review summarizes it well, "their vocals do not harmonize or intertwine or do battle; most of the time, they exchange one-sided conversations, acknowledging each other and going about their business. Every instrument is given enough space to do whatever it wants as long as it cleans up after itself. It's the musical equivalent of roommates who randomly linked up on Craigslist and totally worked things out. Whatever qualities this might suggest in Posse as people lend a lived-in bumminess to Soft Opening, imbuing its no-frills, rumpled indie rock with a discernible point of view and more importantly, a personality. That’s important, because this is really no-frills indie rock. The most notable studio tricks Posse employ are a fuzz pedal, a tambourine, and the occasional echo on Maxim’s vocals."

Shut Up

Talk

 

[Brony]

Parquet courts album is really good.

Full album now up on Spotify.

 

[El Floppo]

Parquet courts album is really good.

Full album now up on Spotify.

:boing:

 

[El Floppo]

Has the new Japanther album (Instant Money Magic) been discussed? I'm three songs in, and striking out so far.

Their old single "First of all" might be my very bestest favorite song right now, so I'm hoping this gets better.

 

[Fiddles]

Thoughts about the new Tokyo Police Club album "Forcefield".

1. It's not as good as 'Champ', which I ignored at first and ended up being one my favourite albums of the last 5 years. This one is much more pop oriented.

2. The first song on Forcefield, 'Argentina' is fantastic, all 8 minutes of it. 'Hot Tonight' is an obvious attempt at a mainstream summer rock hit, but it is being played over Jays highlights every 10 minutes up here, so maybe it will be successful. I also like 'Toy Guns' and 'Miserable' a fair bit as well.

3. This drives me crazy - this album is mastered/mixed WAY LOUDER than anything I've heard in years. I had one of the songs in the middle of a playlist with my headphones on and it scared the #### out of me when it came on. I downloaded a different version to make sure it wasn't just a bad copy and it was the same - sure enough, the comments at what are full of people saying the same thing. I thought this "loudness war" stuff ended years ago. It's mixed like a 2001 Goo Goo Dolls album and more than anything else it may be why I don't listen to it as much as I would their past stuff.

I'm a fan of all their albums...first listen I thought this one was terrible.

Same for me, but it's grown. I listened to it in the sun by a lake on the weekend and that's basically the ideal setting for it.

Forgot about these guys. Listening to champ now, really good.

Did not dig that posse on first listen. Reminded me of Beat Happening. Not my thang.

 

[Fly]

I thought someone had already mentioned it, but I don't see it now. "Soft Opening" by Posse is good. Guy/Girl vocals over sparse indie rock. The Pitchfork review summarizes it well, "their vocals do not harmonize or intertwine or do battle; most of the time, they exchange one-sided conversations, acknowledging each other and going about their business. Every instrument is given enough space to do whatever it wants as long as it cleans up after itself. It's the musical equivalent of roommates who randomly linked up on Craigslist and totally worked things out. Whatever qualities this might suggest in Posse as people lend a lived-in bumminess to Soft Opening, imbuing its no-frills, rumpled indie rock with a discernible point of view and more importantly, a personality. Thats important, because this is really no-frills indie rock. The most notable studio tricks Posse employ are a fuzz pedal, a tambourine, and the occasional echo on Maxims vocals."

Fired this one up a couple of weeks ago. I like it for the most part. I've been having a hard time getting "Afraid" out of my head.

 

[kupcho1]

Love love love the Orwells Disgraceland. Must have played it though 4 or 5 times today alone

I'll add a spotify link later when I'm at the PC

 

[Rushmore]

Love love love the Orwells Disgraceland. Must have played it though 4 or 5 times today alone

I'll add a spotify link later when I'm at the PC

Great shiz..Thanks. Great riff-rock driven tunes to be had here!

 

[El Floppo]

The new Popstrangers (Fortuna)... I like, but for some reason really want to like more. I think they set the bar pretty high with their first (Antipodes) which is more loose/jangley/feedbackey than this one which feels a bit more produced and less noisey.

 

[Disco Stu]

Parquet courts album is really good.

Full album now up on Spotify.

:boing:

Rules.

 

[Celph Titled]

Masked Intruder is really strong.

 

[JZilla]

Not sure if anybody else likes Fu Manchu but their new one is rockin'

 

[kupcho1]

Love love love the Orwells Disgraceland. Must have played it though 4 or 5 times today alone

I'll add a spotify link later when I'm at the PC

Great shiz..Thanks. Great riff-rock driven tunes to be had here!

http://open.spotify.com/user/kupcho1/playlist/66M9lslNAppn1hwfkhZ7vA

 

[JZilla]

That Orwells record is top notch!

 

[ScottNorwood]

Not sure if anybody else likes Fu Manchu but their new one is rockin'

Are all their songs still about cars?

 

[Swing 51]

Hurray For The Riff Raff: Small Town Heroes. New Orleans band. Bluegrass/Folk murder ballads and travelin' songs

I dig.

Yes this is good stuff. Haven't heard the albums but watched a few vids on Youtube. The concert at Lincoln Center in NYC is fantastic.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtaZtJP-1BE

 

[JB Breakfast Club]

I like Lazaretto a lot. I'm a big Jack White fan, but it usually takes a few listens to really get into his releases. I liked this one on the first listen...so I assume that's a good sign.

 

[El Floppo]

That Orwells record is top notch!

Yeah- enjoying that one.

Similar, but a little more... um... mature? or maybe expansive is: OBN IIIs- Third Time to Harm. Kinda drunkish garagey but with arena rock guitar flourishes- a few of their songs, I can visualize them lined up Tap-style and waving their guitars in unison. Liking this a lot.

 

[Fly]

Parquet courts album is really good.

Full album now up on Spotify.

:boing:

Rules.

Floored by it. Can't. Stop. Listening.

Anyone have favorite track(s)?

"She's Rolling", "Instant Disassembly", and "Ducking and Dodging" really stood out to me on my first couple of listens.

 

[Northern Voice]

Parquet courts album is really good.

Full album now up on Spotify.

:boing:

Rules.

Floored by it. Can't. Stop. Listening.

Anyone have favorite track(s)?

"She's Rolling", "Instant Disassembly", and "Ducking and Dodging" really stood out to me on my first couple of listens.

"Black or White". I know it's been out since before the album stream, but I can't get enough of it.

 

[kupcho1]

Jack White – Lazaretto - meh, OK. Kind of all over the place. I do like a few of the songs (Three Women, Would You Fight for My Love) Bit of a Stefan approach to the album (it's got everything: wailing guitars, pianos, glockenspiels, steel guitar)

Andrew Bird – Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of... - just stumbled over this one today. Haven't really dived deep yet (although I can report, there is whistling). More surprised this was out and available and did not really hear about it.

The Clientele - Suburban Light - hadn't heard anything from these guys in a while, at least not anything noteworthy (2007 God Save the Clientele probably the last time I checked in)

 

[Ilov80s]

I might be the only person that isn't loving Parquet Courts...I liked the last album better.