My Picks for Best of 2014 (fS)

Do yourself a favor and get on down to your local independent record store and check out some these releases. Here are my favorites for 2014.

1.) War On Drugs – Lost in the Dream (Perfect album. Drenched in Springsteen sounding reverb, swirling guitar work with a “Dylanesqe” vocal delivery)
2.) Iceage – Plowing through the fields of love (Love the sound of this album, reminiscent of Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and Clash; two of my favorites. Perfect arrangements which chill you to the bone.)
3.) Swans – To Be Kind (Primal groove, perfect arrangements that will dig into your core and hold on to you. Listen to this in it’s entirety. A modern masterpiece from Michael Gira and crew.)
4.) Spoon – They Want My Soul (Superb release from Austin favorites. With razor sharp production…typical perfection from Spoon. A must for listening through a pair of headphones)
5.) Sun Kil Moon – Benji (Sadly beautiful, powerful stories – this record will move you emotionally – possibly Mark Kozelek’s best)
6. ) Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire For No Witness (Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy collaborator and singer-songwriter paints a painfully romantic and beautiful masterpiece on a indie folk canvas.)
7. ) Run The Jewels – RTJ 2 (NYC and Atlanta based hip hop duo make another “in your face” record. Even better than their last LP, so many good grooves and extra heavy beats – you won’t be able to stop coming back to this one)
8. ) Grouper – Ruins (Blissful, foggy and just beautiful)
9. ) Aphex Twin – Syro (A return to form – perfect production – acid/ambient techno from Richard David James…can’t go wrong)
10.) How To Dress Well – What is This Heart? (A great take on R&B, amazing vocal power and very dynamic)