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This is DEFINITELY on my list. This is one of best Industrial albums to come out in the last decade. They have a Ministry LORAH mixed with classic SP vibe to them. Basically, less is more with a very cold and sparse sound. Glad you gave them some love.
I’m a huge industrial fan and I couldn’t get into this one at all. Industrial album of the year for me is probably Pharmakon.[/reply]
Pharmakon is scary shit. I haven’t heard the new one yet, but it’s on my list.
I highly recommend grabbing yourself some Pharmakon. That shit is mental.
Pretty slow year for me, musically. Loved the new Swans. New Pumpkins is pretty good (although incredibly short). Not sure what else there was.
[blush]
No love here for The War On Drugs?! It was such an amazing album, it’s a shame.
Didn’t mind The War On Drugs personally, but no way known was it anywhere near a “best of 2014” release for me.
Haven’t been on here for ages but thought I’d pop by to drop my top 10 list. I’m sure you all have been eagerly awaiting it.
Biggest disappointment for me was Beck who managed to produce everything interesting out of his voice and turned in a really MOR album.
Good stuff from Cocksure, Arca, War on Drugs, Kitten, Tycho and a great Front Line Assembly remix album.
My top 10:
10. Eno/Hyde “Someday World”
9. Eno/Hyde “High Life”
These two albums are radically different in approach, I might actually like Someday better as it has some really catchy songs but “High Life” is unquestionably the more adventurous and exciting of the two.
Above and Beyond “Acoustic”
Probably too syrupy for many, I found these orchestral acoustic rearrangements of the trance superstar duo to be just the right blend of lush and soul aching. I teach yoga for a living and numerous tracks off of this are mainstays of my playlists this year, that should day it all.
Jhene Aiko “Souled Out”
Just got I to Jhene this year and her previous EP “Sail Out” was unquestionably better than its follow-up, the follow-up is still pretty fantastic. Jhene has a great voice and really solid delivery, she doesn’t necessarily make modern Soul/R&B into something different but she does add an interesting and personal lyrical take.
Phantogram “Voices”
Great electronic pop album. The lead single “Fall in Love” is my favorite track here, but the rest of the album holds up. Phantogram brings a 4AD Cocteau Twins sparkling emotive lushness to modern rave pop.
Bassnectar “Noise vs. Beauty”
The album of summer 2014 for me. After going through a bad breakup I wanted fun and this loud yet never dumb slab of EDM brought that in spades. Been listening to it since and it holds up. Some rap, some dubstep, some sparkling pop, a taste of trance: the album is all over the place but still unified.
Future Islands “Singles”
Like Neil Diamond mixed with classic New Order with a hint of death metal splashed in here and there. A friend brought me to see them live the week after the famous Letterman performance and I was sold hook, line and sinker. My friend’s a bigger fan of their older stuff but this album to me is a defining point, it crystallize their previous style into something so very very emotive, passionate and all around good.
SOHN “Tremors”
So so good and shocking to me that this album isn’t showing up on more lists on the net. Great electronic minimalism provide a perfect backdrop for haunted soul styled tone poems. Catchy yet arty. Intelligent yet emotional. Every song on the album is good with the vast majority up there in the level of great. SOHN also does production work, he’s worked with Banks (coming very soon on my list) and remixed Lana Del Ray among others, I hope to see his work gain greater recognition in the years to come, also a rare artist in that his voice sounded even better live.
Banks “Goddess”
Dark electronic landscapes with sultry soulful vocals, Banks is an absolute winner to me. She’s not as edgy as my number one slot, but as with all my top 3 slots, her sound is the sound of 2014 to me. I’ve introduced tons of people to her due to inclusion on class playlists and feel she’s one movie soundtrack away from becoming huge which may or may not be a good thing as the songs with the edgier more radical production approaches are definitely the best of the album.
FKA Twigs “LP1”
I love this album, it is so far heads above everything else this year that I can’t put it I to words. Twigs’ voice is so achingly honest and the music is so totally strange and yet strangely catchy I can’t appropriately express just how good this is. Everything she’s done has been good too, even the vinyl bonus track is great. “Two Weeks” was the track that pulled me in but the whole album kept me listening again and again. I haven’t heard many co pare her to Bjork, but everything from the alieness of the album art, to the cold yet vulnerable delivery, to the blending of soulful vox with up to the moment contemporary electronic sounds remind me of Bjork and I hope she has as long and varied of a career. I suspect I’m a lifetime fan.
What are the odds that something super excellent will come out in the next three weeks right? So here goes. Top ten, in no particular order.
Pink Floyd - The Endless River
Pink Floyd - agree
Cocksure - I’m such a fag. I haven’t bought this yet. i know i should.
Corrupt Fucking System - Doom
The Thing With Two Heads - English Dogs
Abalam - Hexis
They Don’t Have To Believe - Punch
Northless - Comply or Die
The Living Ever Mourn - Nightfell
Pantheist - Coldwar
Savage Gold - Tombs
Low Life - Rats Blood
A World Lit Only By Fire - Godflesh
Better Off Dead - Crows
Lament - Einsturzende Neubauten
Consumer Electronics - Estuary England
Marissa Nadler - July
Tack>>>Head - For The Love of Money
Swans - To Be Kind
Vessels - Punish, Honey
Ben Frost - A U R O R A
Cut Hands - Festival of The Dead
Gazelle Twin - Unflesh
Wrangler - LA Spark
Pharmakon - Bestial Burden
Cult of Youth - Final Days
Shellac - Dude, Incredible
Laibach - Spectre
Ekoplekz - Unfidelity
The Bug - Angels and Devils
Marissa Nadler - July
See? This guy gets it.
My album was better than all this shit! Seriously you just list a bunch of albums from bands that are good, but the albums were not good. For example the new Liars?? The “new” Pink Floyd? Most of these albums are sub par from bands who used to be awesome.
https://soundcloud.com/justinsymbol/sets/justin-symbol-v-i-d-h-e-a-d
Well, I can honestly say that I am now officially out of touch with this so-called music scene. Of all the bands/artists in this thread, I probably recognize 10% . . . and of that 10%, I probably couldn’t even name a single song by 90% of them.
Well, I can honestly say that I am now officially out of touch with this so-called music scene. Of all the bands/artists in this thread, I probably recognize 10% . . . and of that 10%, I probably couldn’t even name a single song by 90% of them.
Me too, in fact you probably know many more than i do! But, i’m happy enough with that. I like what i like and i don’t let anyone else influence me. If someone tells me something’s great, i go out of my way to avoid it. I like my small group of bands that most of the folk here would probably dismiss as unadventurous or whatever, but that’s what i like. I’m a stubborn bastard that way [:)]
Cool. I’m the same way. I feel like I already like enough stuff. I don’t find myself thinking, “I need to discover something new and challenging.” If I go to a record shop or want to buy something online it’s because one of the bands that I’ve already followed for 20-30 years has a new album out, or there’s something that I’m missing from one of those bands.
As for new artists that I ended up trying or giving a chance to in the last 15 years, I can count the ones I bought CDs for on my fingers. Probably on one hand, even.
Cool. I’m the same way. I feel like I already like enough stuff. I don’t find myself thinking, “I need to discover something new and challenging.” If I go to a record shop or want to buy something online it’s because one of the bands that I’ve already followed for 20-30 years has a new album out, or there’s something that I’m missing from one of those bands.
As for new artists that I ended up trying or giving a chance to in the last 15 years, I can count the ones I bought CDs for on my fingers. Probably on one hand, even.
Yeah you never bought my album! [pirate][pirate][pirate]
Yeah you never bought my album! [pirate][pirate][pirate]
No.
I didn’t.
I give you my honest feedback on what you post up here. I think it’s better than most of the crap that gets published on actual labels nowadays, and infinitely better than what most of your “peers” in such a scene would typically make and record.
But it’s still not worth me taking a dollar out of my pocket. If I saw it at a record store for a couple bucks I’d buy it for the novelty, because it’s cool to kind of know the personality behind such art. But figure out how to download it or fill out some dodgy online credit card thing to get it via USPS? No.
All the best to you, though, Dude.
My album was better than all this shit! Seriously you just list a bunch of albums from bands that are good, but the albums were not good. For example the new Liars?? The “new” Pink Floyd? Most of these albums are sub par from bands who used to be awesome.
Jesus, bro. You’re not gonna change anyones mind by insulting their taste in music.
I wouldn’t call what Void said was an insult. More like the bands he mentioned are not what they were. I agree but still really like the new floyd.
[reply]My album was better than all this shit! Seriously you just list a bunch of albums from bands that are good, but the albums were not good. For example the new Liars?? The “new” Pink Floyd? Most of these albums are sub par from bands who used to be awesome.
Jesus, bro. You’re not gonna change anyones mind by insulting their taste in music.[/reply]
Ha! You must be new here…