ILM's Top 77 Albums of 2014

man, I could use a coffin to sleep in right about now

my fave thing about the AM! record is the channeling of Ziggy Stardust that happens on "True Trans Soul Rebel", at least I hear glam-era Bowie in there

and the bridge of "Unconditional Love"

feel like two or three folks who'd have put Platinum at #1 didn't vote maybe? alfred?

― LIKE If you are against racism (omar little),

nope!

I haven't listened to Platinum though I loved the first Pistol Annies album and have liked almost every solo single of hers. Same with LAW, except I only heard a couple recommendations scattrred throughout various threads.

The only other country album I was tempted to check out was from the other SS: Sunny Sweeney.

― proggy went a-courtin' (Drugs A. Money), Thursday, January 29, 2015 9:46 AM (1 minute ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

These are all fantastic. The new SS is better than her first album, imo.

"somethin' bad" >>> "automatic". I don't hate them or anything, they're just sort of by the numbers

i disagree but i only listened to it twice xpost

possible i just felt the newer sunny sweeney record could've been edited down significantly

Four the Record and Revolution both have some tremendous material but needed to be edited down significantly

i think it wasn't so much the lack of good material on these albums that weighed them down as the lack of a distinctive overall thrust; they're comparable to post-2005 mary j blige in that of course there are some good songs, she's a legend, but they seem almost accidental and overall the effect is of someone who has grown out of an artistic mode they excelled at and isn't quite sure where to go next

platinum by contrast is such a complete and confident statement of who miranda lambert is as an artist in 2014

If there's been a consistent injustice in Lambert's career, it's that some of her worst songs (relatively) have been some of her biggest hits. "Somethin' Bad" is borderline unlistenable--I skip it nearly every time. "Heart Like Mine", "Over You", "Automatic", and "We Were Us" were all top 5 country hits that are among my least favorite of her songs.

When you put it like this, yeah, these songs look like depressing cases of treading water or adapting her to A/C sounds. But then there's "Kerosene," "The House That Built Me" (the real country chart breakthrough)," "Famous in a Small Town," "Mama's Broken Heart," "Only Prettier." She's a got a decent singles comp waiting.

got yr rap opinions folks step right up hot fresh rap opinions straight off the press

Those two- and three-minute nuggets at the start of Revolution ("Only Prettier," "Me and Your Cigarettes," "Maintain the Pain") is her best sequence ever imo

Downloaded the Against Me album on the strength of the two singles that placed in the track poll and it's great, though the ones that aren't about the core subject don't connect quite as much.

i definitely voted for the against me album and i still don't really have any idea how to talk about it

good albums, good songs

Presley's solo album didn't live up to the Pistol Annies records, imo. Nothing on there as good as "Lemon Drop" or "The Hunter's Wife" but it had a few good tunes.

Those two- and three-minute nuggets at the start of Revolution ("Only Prettier," "Me and Your Cigarettes," "Maintain the Pain") is her best sequence ever imo

― guess that bundt gettin eaten (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, January 29, 2015 9:52 AM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

The first half of Revolution is so good. "Me and Your Cigarettes" and "Airstream Song" especially.

Brad I guess one thing to note is that I really like the homemade production on the AM! album, I know ums described it as sounding like it was "made in garageband", but for me it's nice to pull back from the gloss of the major label records, it also dovetails nicely with all of the rebirth/re-gender themes, a new sound.

i kinda hated the production for a long time, you put one of those songs in soundcloud and its levels are all over the place

now i sorta find it charming. it definitely sounds like it's their third time recording it

punky lo-fi recording a plus in my book

hope JF's had a lovely drive

http://i.imgur.com/3JMdV5t.jpg

16 GROUPER Ruins [615 points, 21 votes]

Too low :(

aha thought my ballot was done other than war on drugs but forgot about this one

mice

about where it should be. gorgeous, harrowing album that's also v light

otm bn

i never quite understand the praise grouper gets, especially from corners who don't usually delve too deep into quiet female singer-songwriter territory. her music always sounds lovely and is very calming to listen to but writing songs that stick doesn't seem to be her thing...it's just gauzey prettiness compared to someone like mirel wagner

also the differences between her albums must be minuscule

I don't think she has much in common w/ Mirel Wagner really

always got time for grouper,
if i'm in the mood normally go back to 'disengaged' from DADDUAH to kick off a listening session

yeah, i have the 'dragging a dead deer' album, but i wonder why i'd need much more of her work... is this significantly different?

lex have you tried "Clearing" from this new one? her most immediately memorable yet imo

seeing her do these songs in a huge converted abbey (with giant video projections of waves etc. on the whole back wall) was one of the most awesome musical experiences I had in 2014

also this new one is very different - basically no effects on most of it, piano-based as well.

I'm with lex on this one. If I want to get into the mood Grouper puts me in, I'd rather hear something like Mirel Wagner instead.

'clearing' is such a stunning song. I can listen to that one over and over.

also the differences between her albums must be minuscule

not true- this ones very diff from dead deer

lex have you tried "Clearing" from this new one? her most immediately memorable yet imo

no but i'll try! i heard "call across rooms" which i thought was fine and did not inspire me to check the album out. grouper writing memorable songs is def something i'd be down for

I was gonna say, Ruins is completely different from Dead Deer. This one is so minimal and sparse, it's so intimate.

xp to Gr80

i prefer dead deer, tried getting in to this one, didn't hate it but not as great as dead deer

couple of great songs on this but i just couldn't really get into it as a whole - could have done with a bit more variety i think?

lots of quiet/ambient/discreet music in this poll, it's true

the idea of a less dense, piano-focused Grouper record recorded in the portugese countryside sounded great, but it never gelled imo

love this record. I know that this sounds like a knock on it, but I like that it helps me go to sleep. It's been a magical cure for anxiety these past few months, clears my head as soon as I put it on.

this album did not click with me

great album. I'm down w/her particular spaced out gauziness so much.

http://i.imgur.com/mxzKH5X.jpg

15 CARIBOU Our Love [618 points, 22 votes, 2 first place votes]

I find "Heavy Water / I'd Rather Be Sleeping" to be very memorable, particularly. But yeah Ruins is much different while still sounding very much like Grouper.

The Grouper one didn't stick with me either, but I love most of her releases up to and including Dragging A Dead Deer Up A Hill.

pitchfork review of "our love" almost made me stop liking it

too high

rarely made it past the first 2 songs on this one since they were way better than the rest

Some other Grouper tracks that are memorable: Disengaged, False Horizon, Poison Tree.