Black Keys "Turn Blue". I love this new direction they have taken. Awesome! |
Rising Sons "Great Western Valkyrie". Love all their albums! |
New Conor Oberst must be a contender. A major performance -- great songwriting, excellent arrangements, soulful singing. never much liked him before but this is dazzling.
Neal |
Agree with Toddnkaya: Spoon is their best album in a decade |
Toddnkaya- listened to Strand of Oaks a couple times. I think the group has promise. Interesting combo (post punk with rock cues), but still pretty raw imo. Some of this is intentional, but I look forward to see them grow. |
Orenda Fink "Blue Dream".
I mention this one twice because it is absolutely wonderful!!!! Get it!!!
Bongofury: I was somewhat let down by Spoons latest. I felt it was too pop oriented and lacked the raw edginess and inventivness of the majority of their previous efforts. |
Regarding the latest Spoon lp:.
Everyone seems to be gushing over it.
IMO, It's a step backwards. There's no SOUL. (Apparently, they took their soul)
They content isn't up to Spoon's past standards! The sonics are sterile, digital. No "soul".
They seem to have "jumped the shark". |
New Pornographers "Bill Bruisers" is really, really good! (as is the sweet color vinyl/recording) |
a couple I've enjoyed this year:
swans, to be kind; angel olson, burn no fire; real estate, atlas; fresh and onlys, house of spirits. also just heard ryan adams' punk ep, 1984, which i'm digging--sounds exactly like classic 80's sst buzzsaw rawk (husker du,dinosaur, etc.) |
Ryan Adams "S/T", awesome! |
Alright, I'm going to make the leap, (not really). I've done a marathon listening session and I am confident on this...
The Beatles Mono Box Set |
Check out Rowland S. Howard's Pop Crimes. A bit dark, at times, but infectious. |
I hope you'll give me a break here.. from last year... Jeremy Messersmith "Heart Murmurs"! |
Need a folkpop Altoid after all the dark and heavy grooves?
Thao and the Get Down Stay Down "We the Common". |
Ryan Adams
Beck
Jenny Lewis for openers.
Happy Listening! |
Jafant: Every one you mentioned I have also. I'm glad I have a friend in musical taste. |
Blake Mills "Heigh Ho" (This is an exceptional recording)
Tweedy "Sukierae" |
David Crosby. Excellent voice. Sterling production. |
Slaw, thanks for the recommendation for Bake Mills. I never had heard of him before. Really digging what I have heard from this album! Wow!!! |
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Beck's Morning Phase is certainly excellent.
Recorded at Third Man Recording Studio's, so you know attention to quality was high! |
Crowbar-"Symmetry in Black" if you like it heavy! |
Toddnkaya: The sonics are really excellent. The seasoned session players are there out of respect for his talent. I'm glad you like it! |
Slaw, I don't like it/ him , I love this man's music and this album, and also Break Mirrors!! I have watched most everything on you tube, read most reviews etc. I have listened to his music every day since you recommended his album.
I would call him a guitar virtuoso of the highest order.
Eric Clapton called him the last guitarist that he thought was really phenomenal !
Producer Don Was says he is a musician that comes along once in a generation . I have to agree! His singing and song writing has reached a really mature state with this flawless album.
If you like singer song writers, you all should should listen to Heigh Ho, it is a masterpiece !! IMHO , and the sound quality is stellar too!
Thanks again Slaw! |
None in 2014 the days of great rock are over. |
I forget the name, but remember there was no sound on it. |
Have not heard it yet but this one has my eye from what I read and having been familiar with the band and work specifically for many years.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Snow-Goose-Camel/dp/B00FKVUE50/ref=pd_sim_sbs_m_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0C28YY4M1QMVRFHP6WKJ
It's all instrumental, just nice music written composed and performed by talented musicians. All around good stuff. I think even Schubert would find nothing objectionable about this one. :^). |
Bongo, I too am very impressed with Alt J's new album , This Is All Yours .
Their first release, (thanks again for the great recommendation ) was one of my favorite albums of the last 5 years.
I did not think they could follow up this album with something so good. They did. |
Count me in as a Heigh Ho fan...been enjoying it immensely over the past month.
Waiting patiently for the new TV on the Radio- love the single. |
Lucinda Williams "Where The Spirit Meets The Bone" !!! Wow, wow, wow!!!
On vinyl. I have great respect for this great American (female) equivalent to Neil Young (IMO).
Her best yet! Vinyl people, I cleaned it and had quite a bit of reservations. Cleaned it again, Wow! What a difference.
You need to get this ASAP! |
Animals As Leaders - "The Joy Of Motion" |
prince, plectrumelectrum--finally, an album for those of us who always wished prince would stop screwing around and just play his guitar.
thurston moore, the best day--more atmospheric, less song- oriented than his earlier, folky stuffs, this sounds like classic sonic youth. great headphone music. |
Royal Blood. Big push around this in the UK. |
Honorable mention: Rural Alberta Advantage "Mended With Gold". |
Frazey Ford "Indian Ocean" |
Second the Spoon plaudits. A near perfect rock album with clever lyrics.
Neal |
Summing up, there were quite a few keepers, plus one great retrospective (David Bowie's Nothing Has Changed, skimmed to the cream for the excellent vinyl version).
In no particular order except for Rosanne on top:
Rosanne Cash- The River and the Thread
Les Claypool's Duo de Twang- Four Foot Shack
Flaming Lips- With a Little Help from my Friends
Foo Fighters- Sonic Highways
Jeff Tweedy- Sukierae
U2- Songs of Innocence
Lucinda Williams- Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone
Ryan Adams
Conor Oberst- Upside Down Mountain
Beck-Morning Phase
Dave Davies- Rippin' Up Time
John Hiatt- Terms of My Surrender
Nick Cave/Warren Ellis- West of Memphis
The Antlers- Familiars
Real Estate- Atlas
Tom Petty- Hypnotic Eye |
Transalantic "Kaleidoscope"and Joan Osborne's "Love & Hate" |
I really dug Cymbals Eat Guitars last album called Lose. It's fatastic !, and it rocks !! |
My vote for best Rock Album of 2014 goes to
.5: The Gray Chapter |
