A Round of Sound: 2014 Mixtape

January 16, 2015

BW 2014

Now we come to my annual playlist that caps off my list. I find it way to difficult to do a ranking of songs, so this is my way to capture the tracks that defined the year. As always, I try to make a concise playlist that fits on a standard CD-R, so a bit outdated, but DEAL WITH IT. Keep in mind these aren’t necessarily my favorite songs of the year, but rather a mix that I think is a good look at what 2014 had to offer. Also, the order is based on how the songs show up on their respective albums, and is in no way an order of a rank.

This year’s mix consists of 20 songs, which has been typical the last few years, but is a little more varied from year’s past. Seven of the songs come from albums in my top 10, with seven songs from albums in my 11-25 range, leaving the remaining six from those outside my top 25. The lowest ranked album to have a song featured is I Never Learn from Lykke Li, which despite some great moments was an album I found a little too melodramatic for my liking, rendering it 51st in my rankings.

Below, you’ll see the tracklist as well as the Spotify playlist. I’ve also created Rdio playlist if that’s more your bag. And finally, this is the 7th straight year Amy Boyd Runner has provided my album art for the mix. It really is a highlight for me every year having her help out, and this year is no different. Great stuff.

2015 is already off to a fast start, and promises to be a freaking HUGE year for music. I can’t wait.

1) “Transgender Dysphoria Blues” – Against Me! :: Transgender Dysphora Blues
2) “Seasons (Waiting On You)” – Future Islands :: Singles
3) “Goshen ’97” – Strand of Oaks :: HEAL
4) “No Rest For The Wicked” – Lykke Li :: I Never Learn
5) “Water Fountain” – Tune-Yards :: Nicki Nack
6) “Archie, Marry Me” – Alvvays :: Alvvays
7) “Murmurs” – Hundred Waters :: The Moon Rang Like A Bell
8) “Queen” – Perfume Genius :: Too Bright
9) “Red Eyes” – The War On Drugs :: Lost In The Dream
10) “Just One Of The Guys” – Jenny Lewis :: Voyager
11) “Two Weeks” – FKA twigs :: LP1
12) “Alexandra” – Hamilton Leithauser :: Black Hours
13) “Your Love Is Killing Me” – Sharon Van Etten :: Are We There
14) “Do You” – Spoon :: They Want My Soul
15) “Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)” – Run The Jewels :: Run The Jewels 2
16) “War On The East Coast” – The New Pornographers :: Brill Bruisers
17) “Digital Witness” – St. Vincent :: St. Vincent
18) “Words I Don’t Remember” – How To Dress Well :: “What Is This Heart?”
19) “Coffee” – Sylvan Esso :: Sylvan Esso
20) “I’m Not Me”  – Cloud Nothings :: Here And Nowhere Else


Top Albums of 2014: Honorable Mentions

January 13, 2015

Honorable Mentions

Let’s get things started with my honorable mentions for 2014. These are not necessarily albums 26-30, but rather just some albums that I think deserve extra attention for one reason or another. Interestingly enough, these are all debut albums from these artists, although that wasn’t intentional on my part. Also featured is a dishonorable mention as well as a few other awards.

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Sylvan Esso – Sylvan Esso

Mountain Man’s Amelia Meath and Megafaun’s Nick Sanborn teamed up to create this electronic album full of pop gems that also retain the folk sensibility of the duo’s main projects. “Hey Mami” and “Coffee” are two of the year’s best songs.

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Pup – Pup

Toronto quartet’s debut album which was nominated for the Polaris Music Prize, and with good reason. It’s full of infectious and intelligent punk rock tunes, that while not breaking new ground, is a refreshing and reaffirming listen.

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Alvvays – Alvvays

Pronounced Always, this Toronto band specializes in indie pop tunes in the same vein as Camera Obscura, or a lo-fi version of Eisley. “Archie, Marry Me” is the best example of how great this group can be, and reaches the heights of their contemporary’s best work.

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Fear of Men – Loom

Another indie-pop group, this one from Brighton UK, features a bit more darkness and melancholy in their tunes as compared to their peers. The maudlin and almost vengeful subject matter keep this trio from falling into the twee-pop trap and allows the dreaminess of their songs to come to the forefront.

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St. Paul & The Broken Bones – Half The City

Seven-piece soul band with gospel roots from Birmingham wears their influences on their sleeve, but Paul Janeway’s vocals take the band to a level not to be expected upon first glance. They aren’t there yet, as Janeway’s vocals could use a little restraint here or there, but this is a very promising debut.

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Most Underrated Album: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Days of Abandon

Let’s call this my most underrated album that didn’t finish in my top 25, because my actual most underrated album of the year is quite high on my list. This is certainly the worst of TPOBPAH three albums, as the band continues to move away from the fuzz-pop that made their early work so charming, but these are still very good twee-pop songs that I believe deserve the benefit of the doubt considering the lineup turnover this band has gone through last few years.

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Biggest Surprise: Braid – No Coast

Likewise, my actual biggest surprise is probably up in my top 25 somewhere, so I’ll call this my biggest surprise that didn’t make my top 25. This is the first LP from the emo band in 16 years, after reuniting in 2011 to release an EP, which ended up being really bad. So, expectations were low, but I was pleasantly surprised at how strong this album was from start to finish. The songs feel like a natural progression of what we could’ve expected from this band had they not gone their separate ways a decade and a half ago.

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Dishonorable Mentions

Only one Dishonorable Mention this year, but also included is my most overrated album, and my biggest disappointment.

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Christopher Owens – A New Testament

How the mighty have fallen. Just three years ago Owens was responsible for my album of the year as frontman of the band Girls. This is his second solo album and follow up to the underwhelming Lysandre, but this album may be even worse. Owens’ new found alt-country leanings do not work for him no matter how sincere they may be. The heart and soul that made Girls so affecting has been completely lost by the cheesiness of these tunes, and while I’m thankful of his Girls catalog, he’s probably lost a fan in me.

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Most Overrated Album: Real Estate – Atlas

Another band who just three years ago found itself in my top 5 with the fantastic Days, Real Estate has returned to their boring forgetful tunes that made me think they were overrated when they debuted in 2009. Sure, there are a couple very good songs on this album and it’s beautifully produced and musically tight as ever, but as a whole, it’s completely devoid of memorable melodies, and makes me think Days is going to turn out as a fluke for these guys.

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Biggest Disappointment: The Gaslight Anthem – Get Hurt

These guys exploited their blue-collar punk image to create three straight fantastic albums in The ’59 Sound, American Slang, and Handwritten, however, with Get Hurt they’ve devolved into an arena rock band while trying to retain their blue-collar image and it now just screams of pandering.