December 22nd, 2014 | by Staff | published in Best of the Year | 1 Comment »
#10Not every lyric on Benji is about death; Mark Kozelek has also penned heartfelt tributes to his mother and father. But the songs that are about tragedy overflow with unforced sadness. “Pray for Newton” is not an ironic title. But neither is the title of “Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes” what the song is about. It’s …
January 10th, 2014 | by Ron Wadlinger | published in Best of the Year | Leave A Comment »
1. Kanye West, Yeezus (Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam)
This is the album that defined the year for me. It’s completely different from Kanye’s previous masterpiece, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, but it’s just as impressive. This minimalistic, industrial-rap tour de force is packed with awe-inspiring moments, and it deserves every ounce of praise it’s gotten, and more.
2. Eat Skull, III (Woodsist)
Eat …
January 10th, 2014 | by Matt Slaybaugh | published in Best of the Year | Leave A Comment »
Here are a few highlights from my year of listening, in approximately chronological order.
A$AP Rocky on Late Show with David Letterman
I’m responsible for about 1,000 of those 20,000 YouTube views. This happened way back in January 2013 (feels like three years ago), and I’ve come back to this again and again. It’s delirious, intimidating, invigorating and… Holy shit! It’s Araabmuzik!…
January 9th, 2014 | by Chris Sabbath | published in Best of the Year | Leave A Comment »
1. Boards of Canada, Tomorrow’s Harvest (Warp)
2. Grouper, The Man Who Died in His Boat (Kranky)
3. Thee Oh Sees, Floating Coffin (Castle Face)
4. Julianna Barwick, Nepenthe (Dead Oceans)
5. Wire, Change Becomes Us (Pink Flag)
6. Magik Markers, Surrender to the Fantasy (Drag City)
7. The Dead C, Armed Courage (Ba Da Bing!)
8. Tim Hecker, Virgins (Kranky/Paper Bag)
9. …
January 9th, 2014 | by Dorian S. Ham | published in Best of the Year | Leave A Comment »
If the music industry was like the movie industry—and it is but that’s a think piece for another time—the executives would be freaking out over scheduling. So many long-awaited returns and superstar records came out this year that, if this was the movie business, someone would have moved some of them to a less busy year. This year has simply been an embarrassment of riches. …
January 8th, 2014 | by Michael P. O'Shaughnessy | published in Best of the Year | Leave A Comment »
1. The Lloyd Pack, At Home with The Lloyd Pack (L’esprit De L’escalier)
2. Connections, Body Language (Anyway)
3. Anna Ranger, Swimming and Crawling (Stochastic)
4. Ducktails, The Flower Lane (Domino)
5. Charles Bradley, Victim of Love (Daptone/Dunham)
6. Tropical Popsicle, Dawn of Delight (Volar)
7. My Bloody Valentine, MBV (self-released)
8. Jake Bugg, Shangri La (Island)
9. The Men, New Moon…
January 7th, 2014 | by Nate Knaebel | published in Best of the Year | Leave A Comment »
1. Oblivians, Desperation (In the Red)
2. Ex-Cult, Ex-Cult (Goner)
3. True Sons of Thunder, Stop and Smell Your Face (Little Big Chief)
4. Liquor Store, In the Garden (Almost Ready)
5. No Bunny, Secret Songs (Goner)
6. Mordecai, College Rock (Richie)
7. King Khan and the Shrines, Idle No More (Merge)
8. Endless Boogie, Long Island (No Quarter)
9. Charles Bradley, …
January 7th, 2014 | by Kevin J. Ellliott | published in Best of the Year | Leave A Comment »
1. Foxygen, We Are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic (Jagjaguwar)
Ambitious pop songs full of both joy and cynicism.
2. Bill Callahan, Dream River (Drag City)
The work of Bill Callahan gets better with age, but this one seemed to be his most immediate album when age has left his songwriting subdued and hushed. It’s his Aja.…
January 6th, 2014 | by Stephen Slaybaugh | published in Best of the Year | Leave A Comment »
1. Ghost Wave, Ages (Flying Nun)
With Ages, Aukland five-piece Ghost Wave proved themselves the heir apparent to the Flying Nun legacy. Like The Clean, Verlaines, Tall Dwarfs, et al. before them, the band combines jangly guitars with pop smarts and VU overdrive. It all amounts to a debut that show the New Zealand label’s best days aren’t behind it.
2. Toy, Join …
January 6th, 2014 | by Josie Rubio | published in Best of the Year | Leave A Comment »
As 2013 wound to a close, I was left wondering: Have I seen everything there is to see? Most pop-culture events left me feeling blasé—even Miley Cyrus’ VMA performance. I may have been several Moonman-tinis into the evening, but I didn’t see what the big deal was. A shocking VMA performance? Try Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” in 1984. Former Disney starlets asserting sexier images? There’s …