ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2014

Have to admit when I saw that cover I was like "oh word Common made the list?"

man I hadn't paid NP much mind after Twin Cinema but this album really sucked me back in and I am super regretful I didn't see them when they toured

Cher Lloyd was my summer (should have been everyone's) and I'm overjoyed she managed to outshine her debut. Haven't even given Theo Parrish that many spins yet, but he quickly transcended artists I've been playing all year. The Warpaint album sounds great, but not much else to it.

I caught NP on the tour around the time of their debut and it kicked alllllll kinds of ass - that period (debut + TC) was when they were at their peak. Since then? There have been....moments of greatness.

This Theo album is pretty great so far. Hadn't heard of it prior to voting...I can see how it would have shaken up my list a bit.

People who dig Khun Narin's mixture of 'world' music and psych could do worse than check out The Dur Dur Band release from last year. Not really the same thing at all, but I really like this.

Definitely agree about that Dur Dur Band album. Doesn't sound anything like Khun Narin but really great.

will never forgive TNPs for the youtube war on the east coast ads

OK I had tuned out the NPs since twin cinema as well but this is sounding very good as of track 2

voted for this one, thought it was surprisingly strong

brill bruisers is a big step down from their peak but still has 4 or 5 really great songs.

the title track and the neko songs are all bangers but i could never find myself listening to it with any frequency after a couple times through

Wait did that Theo Parrish album come out really late in the year or just with minimal fanfare? I missed it completely.

Theo came out mid December, I'm pretty sure. Love it, but certainly haven't digested it yet. Second of my votes to place (Call Super the other one so far).

http://i.imgur.com/p9hqgae.jpg

63 LEON VYNEHALL Music for the Uninvited [271 points, 13 votes]

it's good but theo should have placed higher

Now this one I really couldn't get into, although I did like 'Butterflies'.

It's okaaaayyyyy. I like the first track with the strings a lot most of the rest is kind of boring.

first of mine to place

Alllllllmmmmmmmmost voted for Ought. Maybe that was my only shot at placing something and I fucked it up.

Apropos as the guy next to me on the bus currently is inside the deku tree in his DS zelda game

Damn, I just realized Aphex Twin is gonna win, isn't he? There hasn't been an Aphex albums released during ILM's EOY poll era, so punters must've had a huge suppressed aphexgasm just waiting to erupt into votes. Blah.

No

actually tuomas, good news, pete namlook is going to win

aphex at #11 imo

Aphex will place high (like top 10), but will not win.

FKA twigs or T. Swift will win.

Aphex seems like a lock for top 10 but 1 is unlikely

d'angelo will win imo

Richard D Awson to beat his near-namesake mebbe

I love the vynehall record but wouldn't argue with ppl who find it boring

gave it a few votes iirc but i liked some of the tracks a lot more than others. personal favourite is goodthing: http://youtu.be/ZP7oy6O7hrU

i should've voted
sorry :(

http://i.imgur.com/ftpAthH.jpg

62 DEAN BLUNT Black Metal [272 points, 9 votes]

Thought this was a good album but it didn't really stick with me.

I can't make heads or tails of this (though I only started listening to it for the first time ten minutes ago).

Track titles are great. I'm really hoping now it sounds like Lush meets 50 Cent.

there's something impressive about how similar all his records sound regardless of the sounds he uses

I tried to listen to that album but couldn't make it halfway through.

I don't like the ALL CAPS naming convention for tracks, but I shouldn't let that blind me. This is fine.

This sounds like something a friend would record and then play for you and you have to say nice things about it because he's your friend but down inside you and he both know it's not very good.

I'd be very frustrated if Aphex won, but I doubt he will. My bets are on #6

/nomorepredictionspromise

i am assuming there's some conceptual angle i would need to read about to "get" b/c otherwise yeah it sounds like some guy's demos

Such a misleading album name.

I'm yet to understand the work of Dean Blunt. He's like Oneohtrix to me - hugely popular with the publications/sites I follow but I just can't get my head around or relate to what's going on with it.

I keep meaning to start a thread of indie/hipster culture referencing black metal. It seems to be quite the thing these days.

Deafheaven

I like that Dean Blunt album, reminds me of AR Kane's wasted, hazy vibe

The Soft Pink Truth had the best black metal this year

^

(& Myrkur!)

http://i.imgur.com/wvpKzMX.jpg

61 FREDDIE GIBBS & MADLIB Piñata [275 points, 9 votes]

77 BABYMETAL Babymetal [236 points, 8 votes, 1 first place vote]
76 CHER LLOYD Sorry I'm Late [239 points, 10 votes, 1 first place vote]
75 MICA LEVI Under the Skin: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [242 points, 10 votes, 1 first place vote]
74 NOURA MINT SEYMALI Tzenni [243 points, 8 votes]
73 REAL ESTATE Atlas [254 points, 9 votes]
72 CALL SUPER Suzi Ecto [255 points, 11 votes]
71 STURGILL SIMPSON Metamodern Sounds in Country Music [256 points, 10 votes]
70 NINOS DU BRASIL Novos Mistérios [258 points, 9 votes]
69 OUGHT More Than Any Other Day [262 points, 7 votes]
68 WARPAINT Warpaint [262 points, 9 votes, 1 first place vote]
67 FUTURE Honest [262 points, 10 votes, 1 first place vote]
66 KHUN NARIN Khun Narin's Electric Phin Band [263 points, 10 votes]
65 THEO PARRISH American Intelligence [267 points, 10 votes]
64 THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS Brill Bruisers [269 points, 10 votes, 2 first place votes]
63 LEON VYNEHALL Music for the Uninvited [271 points, 13 votes]
62 DEAN BLUNT Black Metal [272 points, 9 votes]
61 FREDDIE GIBBS & MADLIB Piñata [275 points, 9 votes]