31 December 2014

My Top 20 Albums of 2014

Getting it in just under the wire before the end of 2014 -- it was a really good year in music with strong comeback albums by quite a few artists.  Here, submitted for your approval. are my Top 20 Albums for 2014.  

20. Elbow - The Take Off and Landing of Everything - (Fiction / Concord)
19. Sloan - Commonwealth - (Yep Roc)
18. The Antlers - Familiars - (Anti-)
17. St. Vincent - St. Vincent - (Loma Vista)
16. Prince - Art Official Age - (Warner)
15. J Mascis - Tied to a Star - (Sub Pop)
14. Cymbals Eat Guitars - LOSE - (Barsuk)
13. The Afghan Whigs - Do to the Beast - (Sub Pop)
12. Sun Kil Moon - Benji - (Caldo Verde)
11. Posse - Soft Opening - (Beating a Dead Horse)
10. Sharon Van Etten - Are We There - (Jagjaguwar)
  9. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2 - (Mass Appeal)
  8. Caribou - Our Love - (Merge / City Slang)
  7. Spoon - They Want My Soul - (Loma Vista)
  6. The Lees of Memory - Sisyphus Says - (Side One Dummy)
  5. Real Estate - Atlas - (Domino)
  4. Tweedy - Sukierae - (dBpm)
  3. Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams - (Pax-Am)
  2. Justin Townes Earle - Single Mothers - (Vagrant)
  1. Foo Fighters - Sonic Highways - (RCA)

In my opinion, there was no more important piece of music recorded this year than the Foo Fighters record. It should not be judged merely on the merit of the music pressed to vinyl, but as a document of the history of music in eight great cities across America. I urge everyone to watch the brilliant HBO series 'Foo Fighters: Sonic Highways' as there is nothing more important in the survival of our music heritage than the history of what has come before us. A respect of the history that we are obligated to pass on to any of our children who are either fans of music or aspire to be a musician themselves. The project, as a whole, gets my vote for Album of the Year.

Happy New Year!