In hot pursuit of my Top Albums of 2014 list, here comes my Top Songs of 2014 mix!  Instead of the typical 20-ish-song, 80-ish-minute compilation, this year I decided that FIFTY is the magic number.  That’s right, you’re in for a treat…3 hours 17 minutes of top-notch, grade-A tracks that were the soundtrack of my year.  I didn’t bother splitting hairs to decide the order of the Top 50.  Rather, I mixed them in the order I felt most appropriate.  So take a listen.  All you have to do is press PLAY above!

If you prefer to SPOTIFY, here is the link.  LDD – Best of 2014
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SEPTEMBER 2014

1. Spoon | Rent I Pay
2. Bee Caves | Running Home to You
3. Alt-J | Every Other Freckle
4. The Rentals | It’s Time to Come Home
5. Cymbals Eat Guitars | Warning
6. Death from Above 1979 | Virgins
7. Ty Segall | The Clock
8. White Fence | Like That
9. Hooray for Earth | Keys
10. Interpol | All the Rage Back Home
11. How to Dress Well | Face Again
12. ODESZA | Koto
13. Shamir | If it Wasn’t True
14. HAERTS | All the Days
15. In the Valley Below | Dove Season
16. The Raveonettes | A Hell Below
17. Tennis | Night Vision
18. The New Pornographers | Marching Orders
19. Sufjan Stevens | A Little Lost ( Arthur Russell Cover)
20. Jenny Lewis | The Voyager
21. Ryan Adams | Feels Like Fire
22. The Gaslight Anthem | Have Mercy (Bonus Track)

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Everyone has their own holiday traditions and that includes music.  Whether you’re the type that tunes into the 24/7 radio broadcasts for the entire month, or you have a small collection of favorites that briefly come out for their annual appearance, the sounds of the holidays are inescapable.   The songs that we associate with Christmas are as unique as the individuals listening.  Everyone has favorites linked to specific memories and it’s best not to question preferences.  The holidays are already tense enough.  No need to pile a musical debate on top of political differences, generational gaps, and vegetarians at the dinner table. Continue Reading

Instead of updating my Top 10 Tracks from a previous post I figure these additional 10 are worth a listen of their own.  And really….how are you going to limit it to just 10?!  If you’re behind the times, check out these songs for a dose of awesome. Continue Reading

Turkey Day has passed and Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa are just around the corner.  In case you’re in the midst of writing your wishlist, here is my updated Top 10 Albums of 2010….thus far.  There is a link at the bottom of the post that extends to the Top 40, in case you’ve already got the first 10 or your Santa is very generous. Continue Reading

1. Matt & Kim | Cameras
2. Matthew Dear | You Put A Smell On Me
3. Das Racist | Who’s That? Brooown!
4. Black Milk | Deadly Medly (feat. Royce Da 5’9” & Elzhi)
5. Mark Ronson & The Business Intl | Lose It (In The End) Continue Reading

Considering his recent 180 on the grandiose undertaking of writing an album for each of the 50 states, it might have been alarming to hear Sufjan Stevens declare his new album would conclude with a 25-minute marathon track, boasting no less than six distinct “acts.”  And given the avant-ness of his mixed-media tribute to the Brooklyn Queens Expressway, a song of this length leaves a lot of room to go awry.  But in the way that only he can, Sufjan blows the doors off this bitch.  Continue Reading