I'll start with the list and then if you're curious you can read my commentary below.
Franky Cosmos - affirms glinting
Deerhoof - La Isla Bonita
Eyes Lips Eyes - Place To Be
Angel Olson - Burn Your Fire For No Witness
Laura Mvula - Laura Mvula With Metropole Orkest
Jenny Lewis - The Voyager
King Tuff - Black Moon Spell
2014 brought us a lot of good music. Music was so good this year that I've realized how bad 2013 was and I've lost a little hope in 2015 (although this year is sure to bring us a new Radiohead album so there's plenty of hope to lose).
Last year was a great follow up to trends from 2013: women are making amazing records, people are still using lo-fi production to give the illusion of soul to their songs, and pop still didn't really cross paths with art.
A lot of my favorite artists were new to me. 7 out of these 10 records were from people I hadn't heard of before while St. Vincent, Beck, and more disappointed me with their repetition. I wonder if I'm too impatient to hear bands repeat themselves or if they're stuck in a rut. Maybe I'll turn around in 5 years and realize what an incredible record St. Vincent was. I've done that before with Beck (Sea Change).
My favorite new band this year is Frankie Cosmos. WOW. The songs are so honest, simple, and fresh. If you follow them on Bandcamp, you'll see 3 albums released last year: one full band record and two albums of demos. My favorite, Affirms Glinting is one of the demo albums but I spent the better part of this year listening to all three. Apart from the beautiful, easy to sing melodies, the lyrics are simple and piercing. She's never singing complicated lines presenting awkward metaphors, instead she tells you straight. "When you don't want me, I look at my body."
The other record I'd like to highlight is Laura Mvula's masterpiece. She recorded and released the same songs in 2013 using Pop/R&B production. Then, a year later released the same album reimagined and backed by a full orchestra recorded at Abbey Road Studios. The result reminds me of Bjork, Caetano Veloso, and Joanna Newsom. I can't wait to hear what she does next.
Thanks for reading! What do you think? Any albums I missed? I know I did because I just listened to Viet Cong's record this week and GEEZ it's good.
Grandma Sparrow - Grandma Sparrow & His Piddletractor Orchestra
Courtney Barnett - The Double EP: A Sea Of Split Peas