ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2014

I feel bad for not voting for Meshell or Neneh even tho I listened to both quite a bit.

I think we will see Neneh but not Meshell.

wish Dawson hadn't bitten quite so much of the "Lean On Me" melody for the title track, really like the album though

Shabazz Palaces rules, obv

http://i.imgur.com/Qw80FPg.jpg

21 NENEH CHERRY Blank Project [545 points, 20 votes, 1 first place vote]

But on a positive note, I'm loving the Gazelle Twin tracks on Youtube, and I just ordered the album from Amazon. This kind of stuff is often the verge of becoming too gloomy and abrasive for me, but thankfully it stays on the good side just by an inch. Love her beat programming, so hard-hitting.

(xxxpost)

haha lol

amazing album obv

Yay, thank god for Cherry! Her comeback has been one of my favourite things in music during the last couple of years.

catching up from city number three

dj quik - "life jacket" and "that getter" stood out to me but overall it felt less like a disappointment than a minor work that came and went rather than something that left its mark on your listening like his previous two

gazelle twin - yesssss, i voted for this. huge volte-face from her "thread of knife-like music" debut - have never heard any music that captures body horror so effectively, and i appreciate the way it feels like a horror film. sounds better the louder it is. she's a super-interesting person too.

[run of Difficult Old Man Music; if i was slouching on the sofa at home alone i might give any of this a go but i'm in a hotel room in france with a shitload of work to prepare so i'll just skip to the bit where i go "hmm i admire it" then never ever listen to it again]

K. MICHELLE - YASSSS BISH YASSSSSSSSSSSS my #1 my #1 she is the realest and the rawest

"judge me" - bravura opener that makes me realise i want to hear her do a bond theme at some point in her career
"build a man" - how to reconcile the depth of your feelings with the shittiness of men pt 1: frankenstein fantasies
"drake would love me" - how to reconcile the depth of your feelings with the shittiness of men pt 2: fan fiction, and musing on what exactly we use pop stars and celebrities for (see also ne-yo's "single")
"god i get it" - how to reconcile the depth of your feelings with the shittiness of men pt 3: resignation, acceptance. "god i get it / i'm a mess and i admit it"

why did shabazz palaces call their album by a french phrase but not spell it the french way? lèse-majesté. their first album was too awkward and unlovable for me

ha i knew neneh would show up despite the handwringing. i never really expected meshell to but i'm slightly gutted about mirel wagner. anyway neneh's album is good, i was very impressed on release, but it completely fell out of regular listening and i was never motivated to get it back in there

why did shabazz palaces call their album by a french phrase but not spell it the french way?

because

http://31.media.tumblr.com/db480ce9173e2053bb641b7f9c9051ee/tumblr_n949eloIYn1r4h022o1_500.jpg

This album has a really unique feel, IMO... It doesn't sound like anything's that's hip these days (AFAIK), but neither does it sound like any of her older records (which did sometimes have a bit too much of following-the-latest-trend quality). It's like she re-emerged as a whole new artist.

I have really no idea what rev dislikes about the toni/babyface production - it's one of the greatest appeals about it to me. Just really creamy and lush. I don't hear how it's any different to prime toni/babyface material either.

There's no depth to it, it's all surface. Everything is at 10 most of the record. It's so LOUD in a way that doesn't suit the material and is really wearying to me.

― The Reverend, Wednesday, January 28, 2015 7:13 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i'm relistening now and i genuinely can't hear this? it doesn't strike me as unusually loud, i can hear depth...

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]

60 TUNE-YARDS Nikki Nack [278 points, 11 votes]
59 KELIS Food [281 points, 13 votes]
58 KASSEM MOSSE Workshop 19 [282 points, 13 votes]
57 BOTANIST VI: Flora [285 points, 10 votes]
56 STEVE GUNN Way Out Weather [286 points, 9 votes, 1 first place vote]
55 RONIKA Selectadisc [288 points, 10 votes]
54 MOODYMANN Moodymann [291 points, 12 votes]
53 SUN KIL MOON Benji [292 points, 9 votes]
52 FENNESZ Bécs [306 points, 12 votes]
51 A WINGED VICTORY FOR THE SULLEN Atomos [309 points, 11 votes, 1 first place vote]
50 ALVVAYS Alvvays [314 points, 10 votes, 1 first place vote]
49 GIGI MASIN Talk to the Sea [323 points, 9 votes, 2 first place votes]
48 WILD BEASTS Present Tense [326 points, 12 votes, 1 first place vote]
47 KATY B Little Red [342 points, 16 votes]
46 YOUNG MARCO Biology [355 points, 15 votes]
45 LEWIS L'Amour [367 points, 11 votes]
44 ONE DIRECTION Four [372 points, 12 votes, 1 first place vote]
43 DJ Q Ineffable [374 points, 17 votes]
42 LEE ANN WOMACK The Way I'm Livin' [380 points, 11 votes, 1 first place vote]
41 EX HEX Rips [380 points, 15 votes]

40 LANA DEL REY Ultraviolence [390 points, 11 votes, 1 first place vote]
TIE-38 ANGEL OLSEN Burn Your Fire for No Witness [390 points, 14 votes, 1 first place vote]
TIE-38 MARK BARROTT Sketches From an Island [390 points, 14 votes, 1 first place vote]
37 SPOON They Want My Soul [400 points, 11 votes]
36 AZEALIA BANKS Broke With Expensive Taste [408 points, 16 votes, 1 first place vote]
35 TONI BRAXTON & BABYFACE Love, Marriage & Divorce [414 points, 14 votes]
34 ANDY STOTT Faith in Strangers [424 points, 14 votes]
33 THE SOFT PINK TRUTH Why Do the Heathen Rage? [426 points, 16 votes]
32 ARIEL PINK Pom Pom [430 points, 15 votes, 1 first place vote]
31 JESSIE WARE Tough Love [431 points, 17 votes, 1 first place vote]
30 FUTURE ISLANDS Singles [432 points, 15 votes]
29 POPCAAN Where We Come From [435 points, 14 votes, 2 first place votes]
28 DJ QUIK The Midnight Life [455 points, 18 votes]
27 GAZELLE TWIN Unflesh [469 points, 19 votes, 2 first place votes]
26 SWANS To Be Kind [481 points, 16 votes]
25 SCOTT WALKER & SUNN 0))) Soused [482 points, 18 votes, 1 first place vote]
24 K. MICHELLE Anybody Wanna Buy a Heart? [486 points, 17 votes, 1 first place vote]
23 RICHARD DAWSON Nothing Important [497 points, 15 votes, 2 first place votes]
22 SHABAZZ PALACES Lese Majesty [536 points, 17 votes, 1 first place vote]
21 NENEH CHERRY Blank Project [545 points, 20 votes, 1 first place vote]

Commence with top 20 predictions of course.

I suppose it would be nice for there to be more tunes (not just on the TB&B album but generally) that sound as infinity-swimming-pools luxuriant as Babyface's absolute best productions of the 90s ("You're Making Me High", "Diggin' On You" etc.) but for me that's less a problem with L,M&D and more a Santa's Wish List item for music in general.

i think only war on drugs is left over in terms of "indie albums bound to inspire ilxrage" that will most likely place in the top 20

interesting that nobody voted Swans #1

RTJ2! xp

i still have no idea why LJ thinks RTJ2 will be controversial

as someone who doesn't like it at all it's far from an album i'd get all UGH GTFO about

The one thing I regret about skipping the Pitchfork Fest was missing Neneh Cherry. Did anyone see her show? I just finished Viv Albertine's memoir, and learned that 15 year-old Neneh toured with The Slits near the end of their run, contributing vocals.

ha, fine

Poll took a massive turn for the awesome, will give K Michelle, Shabazz Palaces and Neneh Cherry thorough listens all :)

I think you will like the Neneh Cherry imago.

15 year-old Neneh toured with The Slits near the end of their run, contributing vocals.

That's awesome.

Thats probably what led to her being on the second New Age Steppers album

xps to lex yeah most folks on here i've seen who haven't liked RTJ2 are more like "eh, it's not my thing but whatever," than "ew what is this corny fuxxor indie-rap shit"

Except for the Raccoon, but he's gone.

Cheers Tim. Today has been really good imo aside from discovering what dicks Ariel Pink and DJ Quik are - so much to listen to!

run the jewels, D'angelo, taylor, FKA Twigs, Tinashe, charli xcx, caribou, owen pallett, rich gang, war on drugs, aphex, against me, st vincent, nicki minaj, parquet courts, YG
That's 16. Anybody think any of those don't make it?

the thing with RTJ2 is that while it clearly is the corny indie fuxxor rap album of choice it's not just that and its fanbase is obviously not limited to that so i just chalk it up to dislike of el-p's awkward bashy production and move on

FYI Neneh is on (I think) all of the Rip Rig & Panic albums as well

miranda lambert will make it, probably the juan maclean too?

sigh, just realised mariah probably missed out. and angaleena presley, unless ilm's pistol annies loyalty is stronger than i realise

I mean just check this shit out if you've never heard RR&P

https://www.youtu.be.com/watch?v=5S_aOF_1Q0Y

(Neneh on vocals)

Yep, I heart RR&P

I don't see Parquet Courts making it and definitely not Nicki Minaj.

I can't imagine the Parquet Courts album placing, even the people who like them were cool about that record

xp

forks most of those definitely make it, i have some final (if on life support) hope that one of the two stellar vince staples projects makes it in - as well as one of the two gangsta boo tapes

forks: todd terjeble, grouper

nicki might not, i feel like i enjoyed pinkprint a lot more than most of the people discussing and i didn't even vote for it

*discussing it

royksopp & robyn maybe

Grouper OTM

Neneh was my #2, and it was a late addition. I def felt when I heard it "this is better than anything else I'd heard this year". Lex you are not the first person I'd heard say that you found yourself not coming back to it after a very positive first impression. Idk maybe that will happen to me too :\

todd terje yes. not so sure about grouper.

Any chance Ariana Grande is in the top 20?

The one thing I regret about skipping the Pitchfork Fest was missing Neneh Cherry. Did anyone see her show?

― Fastnbulbous, Wednesday, January 28, 2015 3:55 PM (9 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

It was just all right.

suppose it would be nice for there to be more tunes (not just on the TB&B album but generally) that sound as infinity-swimming-pools luxuriant as Babyface's absolute best productions of the 90s ("You're Making Me High", "Diggin' On You" etc.)

I hear this on "Let's Do It": the oh-oh-oh and quiet insistent "Let's do it" Babyface backup vocals, the ooooh-ooohs after the chorus hook.

miranda and juan maclean are safe bets too; i agree that mariah and angaleena don't get in. parquet got love everywhere else and nicki stans are a considerable voting bloc. so:
Run The Jewels
D'Angelo
Taylor Swift
fka Twigs
Tinashe
Charli XCX
Caribou
Owen Pallett
The War on Drugs
Aphex Twin
Against Me!
St Vincent
YG
Miranda Lambert
The Juan McLean
Rich Gang

and i'd bet on parquet and nicki... Phantogram? Did Terje's "It's Album Time" not go in for last year? If not, it's gotta place here right?

Grouper / Protomartyr split?

Seems like only 1 album from the metal poll top 10 is going to place. Even the winner isn't going to place. You would think a few things would crossover to ilm in general.

I bet Arca will place

xxp as in: which of the two is more likely to make it