Honorable Mentions for Album of the Year - 2014

I'll be releasing my top 50 albums of 2014 later this week, but first - here's 40ish honorable mentions of albums from this year in no particular order.  I included a link to a full stream of the album if I could find it/felt like it.  About a quarter of this list is releases from up and coming groups from the New Englandish area and then the rest is just other stuff I dug this year that I think is worth checking out.  

Xen – Arca 

The Best Day – Thurston Moore 

367 Equalizer/Smack the Brick – Guerrilla Toss

Along the Way - Mark McGuire 

Dude Incredible - Shellac 

AIRWAVVVVVVES – Of the Sun

These guys are doing something really psychedelic, really unique, and really really awesome.  The briefest way I can describe their sound is it's like psychedelic droney metal mixed with groove oriented tribal drumming and throat singing.  This radio performance is a great document of this trio's evolving live set at at this certain place and time that I would highly recommend for anyone interested in stuff in this vein.

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Creation Birthings/It Never Began - voidgod 

This psychedelic droney black-metal group played a big part in renewing my interest in metal this year (along with Deafheaven’s album last year, “Sunbather”).  Playing a bill with them on Halloween was crazy inspiring.  Every time this band plays live, their set is completely improvised in the moment and the energy the create is crazy intense - and both of these albums are live recordings.

INJURY TRAIN AND I'M NEVER GETTING OFF IT b​/​w VULNERABILITY - Olivia Neutron John  

Heartleap - Vashti Bunyan

PTSD - Pharoahe Monch

Stay in Touch - 1000000000s

Texturally a very interesting and beautiful record - sometimes reminiscent of composers like John Luther Adams (such as on the opening track)...but then it also goes into some straight bangers that you could blast at a party without getting funny looks for playing weird artsy electronic music (even if it is such - and I mean that in the best way possible).    

Sea When Absent – A Sunny Day in Glasgow

One of the most creative shoe-gaze/dream-pop albums I’ve heard in a few years.

Juice - Medeski Scofield Martin and Wood

Basically what you’d expect from another MSM&W record – but there are enough surprises and interesting stuff going on here that it’s still worth checking out.  I mean…what MM&W fan wouldn’t want to hear them do a ten minute dub jam of “Sunshine of Your Love”?  

Black Renaissance – Muna 

I Can Only Make the Key – Moltcorps

Droney psychedelic electronic music that's got some tight Reichian things going on that can definitely bring the listener quite a journey.  And this EP actually works really well on a loop if you're into trying that kind of thing out.  

Ultraviolence - Lana Del Ray 

The Golden Room – The Milkman’s Union

Ruins – Grouper 

The Longest Year on Record - A Troop of Echoes

So it Goes - Ratking 

There is Only Now- Souls of Mischief 

Are We There - Sharon Van Etten

Really solid singer song writer with a great voice.  Not super hooky and definitely takes some patience – to call it a slow burner would be an understatement.  But solid production with a gloomy atmosphere that would appeal to folks who dig stuff like The National and emotive indie-rock like that.  

Warpaint - Warpaint

This group caught my ear since I heard Chris Cunningham is making a documentary about them and then I heard their debut single, "Love is to Die" - none of the other songs on that album are as tight as that one, but it's definitely still a cool experimental-dream-pop album.   

Forest Hills - J. Cole

J. Cole is more emotional and relatable that your average MC today.   Otherwise, there’s nothing that really makes him stand out that much lyrically or musically, and definitely some cringe-worthy lines...but he’s got some solid positive messages in some tunes, the production is tighter than his last record (“Born Sinner") and it’s his most consistent and best record so far.  

Alive at Trendy Shit Town - Kar’nam

The Problem with Living in the Moment - The Grownup Noise

More harmonically and lyrically driven than their sophomore album (which was more rhythmically and hook driven) – definitely a step in an interesting direction for this Boston-based indie-rock/folk group.  

Foundations of Burden – Pallbearer 

Taylor Swift - 1989

Nothing if Not Young - Hook & Holler 

Crosses - Crosses

Mess - Liars

Transgender Dysphoria Blues - Against Me! 

Gone – Big Eater

One is the Other – Billy Heart Quartet

Pom Pom – Ariel Pink 

St. Vincent - St. Vincent 

Mehliana: Taming the Dragon - Mark Guiliana and Brad Mehldau
This record really pales in comparison to hearing this duo live and at times feels a bit too sterile – but as this is the only real recording of this duo for the time being, it's still getting a lot of rotation on my stereo.       

Anchor – Zammuto

Clark - Clark

Floating – Fred Hersch Trio

The London Sessions - Mary j. Blige

Art Official Age – Prince 

Morning Phase - Beck

I should also mention LSDV (who came out with a VHS tape) and Solid State Entity (who came out with a cassette) - I don't have a VHS player or a cassette player yet...but judging from their live sets and their stuff on vimeo and soundcloud - both probably kick a lot of ass.  

I'll be posting my top 50 of the year in the near future - so stay tuned for that.

Much love,

Mike