It’s that time of year again. At least it WAS that time of year…two months ago. Still, it’s never too late for an Albums of the Year list, right? I just wanted to be sure nobody copied my answers.
According to some parts of the internet, 2014 wasn’t a triumph in the album arena, with the exception of Taylor Swift’s 527 ft home run, 1989. Speaking of monster home runs and 1989, shout out to the Bash Brothers – Jose Canseco and Mark McGwire. Despite this ruling by the interwebs that doesn’t mean there are some serious gems out there.
Thanks to all my favorite people for slangin’ recommendations my way throughout the year. Per the usual, gimme a shout with any albums that I absolutely, positively haaaave to check out, lest my street cred flow directly into the sewer. I’m all ears.
Now for the moment you’ve been waiting for….the L.I.S.T. My Top 50 Albums of 2014.
50. J. Cole | 2014 Forrest Hills Drive
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49. Alvvays | Alvvays
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48. Young Fathers | Dead
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47. Ex Hex | Rips
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46. Cymbals Eat Guitars | Lose
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45. Foster the People | Supermodel
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44. ceo | Wonderland
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43. tUnE-yArDs | Nikki Nack
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42. Sharon Van Etten | Are We There
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41. Interpol | El Pintor
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40. In the Valley Below | The Belt
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39. OK Go | Hungry Ghosts
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38. Röyksopp & Robyn | Do It Again
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37. Bear in Heaven | Time is Over One Day Old
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36. The War on Drugs | Lost in the Dream
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35. Chromeo | White Women
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34. Stars | No One is Lost
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33. Phantogram | Voices
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32. Broken Bells | After the Disco
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31. Black Lips | Underneath the Rainbow
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30. London Grammar | If You Wait
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29. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah | Only Run
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28. Lykke Li | I Never Learn
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27. Mac Demarco | Salad Days
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26. clipping | CLPPNG
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25. Shamir | Northtown EP
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24. Lana Del Rey | Ultraviolence
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23. Hamilton Leithauser | Black Hours
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22. Rubblebucket | Survival Sounds
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21. TV on the Radio | Seeds
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20. Conor Oberst | Upside Down Mountain
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19. Jenny Lewis | The Voyager
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18. The New Pornographers | Brill Bruisers
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17. The Gaslight Anthem | Get Hurt
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16. Mø| No Mythologies to Follow
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15. Ásgeir | In the Silence
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14. Bear Hands | Distraction
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13. Spoon | They Want My Soul
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12. Future Islands | Singles
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11. Ty Segall | Manipulator
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10. Tokyo Police Club | Forcefield
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9. Bee Caves | Animals with Religion
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8. ODESZA | In Return
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7. The Antlers | Familiars
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6. Parquet Courts | Sunbathing Animal
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5. Run the Jewels | RTJ2
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4. The Rural Alberta Advantage | Mended with Gold
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3. Death from Above 1979 | The Physical World
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2. Sylvan Esso | Sylvan Esso
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1. Lo-Fang | Blue Film
And there you have it. Hope my list was familiar enough not to just blow it off, but contains a few albums to pique your interest. Now get out there and Spotify that shit!
Cheers to 2015…only 11 months left to build my Albums of 2015 list!
