Ian's Favorite (Not 'The Best' - That's Bulls**t) Albums of 2014 - or: People Still Listen to Albums?
Our drummer Ian is a compulsive list-maker and has decided to list his favorite albums of 2014. Even if you didn't ask him to.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
- Spoon "They Want My Soul"
- Curtis Harding “Soul Power”
- Run the Jewels "Run the Jewels 2"
- Ariel Pink “pom pom”
- Cymbals Eat Guitars "LOSE"
- War on Drugs “Lost in the Dream”
- Flying Lotus “You’re Dead!”
- Luluc “Passerby”
- Meatbodies “Meatbodies”
- Temples “Sun Structures”
- The Wytches "Annabel Dream Reader"
- Aan “Amor Ad Nauseum”
- Robert Plant “Lullaby & the Ceaseless Roar”
- Ty Segall "Manipulator"
- Future Islands “Singles”
10. Xylouris White "Goats"
George Xylouris, a Greek lute player, and Jim White (Dirty Three drummer) put together one of the most experimental World (I hate that term) albums of the year. I saw them play at The Sunset in Seattle and realized how badly I need to practice the drums.
09. Shabazz Palaces "Lese Majesty"
08. Tinariwen "Emmaar"
This album was made by Tuareg rebels... REBELS... who met while in exile from Mali! They fought against the government in the '90s! The album sounds right out of the Saharan desert, even though it was recorded at Joshua Tree.
07. FKA twigs "LP1"
06. Sturgill Simpson "Metamodern Sounds in Country Music"
Read my review for NadaMucho of Sturgill Simpson's November show at the Tractor Tavern in Seattle.
05. D'Angelo "Black Messiah"
If this album hadn't just come out this week and I'd only listened to it a few times, it might have been higher up on this list. And apologies to Spoon for getting kicked off the Top 10...
04. St. Vincent "St. Vincent"
WHY IS ST. VINCENT SO AMAZING?!?!?!
03. Strands of Oaks "HEAL"
I hadn't been turned on to Strand of Oaks until these premature Best Of lists started pouring in a few weeks ago, but this album has quickly become one of my favorites!
02. Ex Hex "Rips"
This is a fucking great, simple rock record from a band that's been around about as long as we have! D.C.'s Ex Hex have made a very throwback album evoking some of those prime late-70s radio hits.
01. Mac Demarco "Salad Days"
The #1 and #2 positions for me go back-and-forth a lot. "Rips" is probably the better album and I would guess that it holds up better in years to come. But as far as what my "favorite" album of the year is, "Salad Days" has been playing at my heartstrings since April and I've grown to become more emotionally attached to it.
We took this album on tour with us and it was my soundtrack to our easy-going L.A. days. We just played in Wenatchee over the weekend and Peter and I drove back through the mountains, snow on the ground with the sun peaking out, and it matched the beauty of our easy Sunday landscape perfectly.
It's a fantastic rock album but, more importantly, it's also original! These songs have such great pop hooks but with a guitar that sounds like it's been recorded off a cassette tape which melted on the dashboard, it seems to be more aptly compared to Ty Segall and the West Coast garage rock scene (Demarco is Canadian).
My biggest concert regret of 2014 was missing his performances in town a few weeks ago (and the afterparty where he hung out at Guy Keltner from Fox and the Law's house). Mac for President.
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01. Mac Demarco "Salad Days"
02. Ex Hex "Rips"
03. Strand of Oaks "HEAL"
04. St. Vincent "St. Vincent"
05. D'Angelo "Black Messiah"
06. Sturgill Simpson "Metamodern Sounds in Country Music"
07. FKA twigs "LP1"
08. Tinariwen "Emmaar"
09. Shabazz Palaces "Lese Majesty"
10. Xylouris White "Goats"
If you haven't listened to our entire interview with KIRO's The Mixtape, here's the acoustic version of our new song "Invite Me Over" that we played for it! Check it out.
A few photos from shows we played over the weekend! funkfarm's Psychedelic Holiday Freakout in Seattle on Friday and at Wally's in Wenatchee on Saturday with Smokey Brights!
We were interviewed by KIRO Radio’s The Mixtape with Sean De Tore earlier this week! Listen to the interview here: http://kiroradio.com/listen/9980957#
or download it on your iPhone from the Podcasts App!
