Top Tracks 2014 Part I 125 - 100
2014 was a very ambiguous year. The usual highs and lows and many revelations about human nature, to cut the monologue nobody wants to hear short. I did enjoy many great moments and can conclude with the positive having the longer lasting effect and the poison of this year falling into obscurity with certainty. Musically, I felt that there weren´t many surprises. In a way many artists from 2012 returned after the usual one year gap, with new work and ideas. Almost none of them did disappoint. Track wise there are many gems. So many that there was need to stack the 100 best tracks with another 25, just to paint a better picture. So enjoy, we have a long way to go.
125. Mr. Oizo – Mass Doom (The Church)
Admittedly, I was very surprised to hear that Mr. Oizo has been around all those years making music. Like me, most people might only know one track by him which may also play as an nostalgic throwback. But with his 2014 album The Church Oizo shows many dimensions to his music. While there is an undeniable trap influence to be heard, Mass Doom is a playful rendition of big beat. It moves fast and cartoonish, with a sense of irony and with enough variety to have you come back time and time again.
124. Wovenhand – The Refractory (Refractory Obdurate)
All fun and games aside, there is Wovenhand. Imagine a bleak tavern during the great depression and a band with a hang for pathos and eastern acoustics channeling the energy, or lack of energy with their sound. Heavy shit for unhappy people; that´s art in its truest form.
123. Real Estate – Talking Backwards (Atlas)
Real Estate make music I would have sucked up when I was thirteen years old and the world seemed to be a happy place. What are worries other then the knowledge of ending youth and approaching death. Still, there has to be a glimpse of naivety and for lack of a better term "optimism".
122. Zola Jesus – Go (Blank Sea) (Taiga)
Go (Blank Sea) might be the best synopsis of Taiga. Zola Jesus´ music often times blends into each other without much space for separation of the individual tracks. Go shows Zola´s voice mending the ecclesial background with the unforgiving drums. A prayer said against crushing waves.
121. Young Fathers – Get Up (Dead)
After two really great mixtapes, sadly I felt that Dead didn´t add much to the formula of experimentation created by Young Fathers. Last years "I Heard" was something else and remains as gripping as with the first listen. A feeling that Dead often times only scratches upon. Get Up is Young Fathers at their most energetic and noisy. For a first introduction of a band with a bright future, not bad.
120. St. Paul &The Broken Bones – Half The City (Half The City)
I´m really not a fan of soul music, so St. Paul & The Broken Bells were an odd one out this year. Their interplay is tight and without actual proof, who would think that this is an all-white outfit. Even for my dislike of brass instrumentation, this track hits the spot.
119. Wolves Like Us – Lovescared (Black Soul Choir)
Lovescared isn´t really representative for Wolves Like Us. Their music fits the definition of hard rock for me. Strong handed and with an good amount of feeling. I´ve had the opportunity to see them life and saw a band that can make sense of the sentiment of the crowd, even with crazy stage antiques and shenanigans when Junius were playing. Here they move away from the electricity in every way and deliver a gripping ballad. The singer Larsh Kristensen comes close to sounding like Corey Taylor in his mellowest moments. I admire this song as I can image them on stage, toning it down for a breather and space for introspection.
118. Young Thug – Old English (feat. Freddie Gibbs & A$AP Ferg)
Remember Lil Wayne? As his music got weirder over time people must have been searching for artists that were born strange. Young Thug might become Wayne´s spiritual successor in many ways. His voice has a appealing broken quality to it and Old English, with excellent verses by Gibbs and Ferg, shows promise of an character that might not get chewed up by the short attention span of the blogger.
117. Kassem Mosse – Untitled A1 (Workshop 19)
Construct a dance track that gets people going without actually starting over it´s six minutes play time. This might be the best intro track this year. Various blimping impressions all combined over an whispering voice. Listenable improvisation mixed with experimentation.
116. Tycho – Montana (Awake)
When talking post-rock music, or instrumental music, I have digressed into the more heavier bands, those that build tension and a sense of despair as soon as their hands touch strings. Tycho goes the other way. Montana is sun soaked and rainbow colored bliss from beginning to end.
115. Marissa Nadler – Dead City Emily (July)
Reverb soaked instrumentation and operatic woman singing folky blues - or Marissa Nadler. Everyone who likes him some folk music will be pulled in by this voluminous voice, but it is when Nadler sings "Oh I saw the light today" and the linger of ethereal noise becomes present, that you will be caught in this little world for good.
114. Kindness – This Is Not About Us (Otherness)
Otherness wasn´t really worth mentioning this year if you heard Cupid Deluxe by Blood Orange in 2013. The two acts don´t share many similarities, but those that are present crushed the experience for me and the presence of Devonte Haynes is strongly felt. This Is Not About Us rectifies it´s spot for it´s great retro cow-bell beating beat.
113. Romeo Santos – Odio (feat. Drake) (La Fórmula Vol. 2)
I admit it, if it wasn´t for Drake this track would have no place here. The bachata sound isn´t really something I´d delve into in my free time, but here Santos delivery and the heart-breaky sound caught my attention and Drake just proved once again, that he can do it all.
112. Shabazz Palaces – #Cake (Lese Majesty)
Developing a really unique sound isn´t easy in Hip Hop music. Lese Majesty however showed how it is done. In a way, it is an overbearing effort and deserves much more attention than I have given to it yet. But #Cake hits as hard as it is strange. A bass heavy psychedelic epic.
111. Banks – Goddess (Goddess)
Banks´ debut album was very much anticipated following her excellent singles. Unfortunately, the appeals of her music does not lie in delivering a cohesive experience, one that shows a electronic influenced singer, like many else, taking a step outwards of categories and placing her aside from others. I´ll stick with Goddess and wait for her next brainchild.
Banks - Goddess from Shebaniah. on Vimeo.
110. Jhené Aiko – The Pressure (Souled Out)
Here we have a r´n´b songstress with a vision. Last years EP Sail Out skillfully handeled all the usual features with a rapper and gave Souled Out time for Jhené alone. The result is a beautifully blend of down-tempo and contemporary r´n´b music. The Pressure glows through Aiko´s warmth in her voice, no gimmicks and no rapper needed.
109. Mark E – Image, Monitor, Learn (Product Of Industry)
This is "industrial" music no only because of the title of the album. The feeling of inorganic, fast-paced and relentless movement couldn´t be expressed denser then in Image, Monitor, Learn. And yet, or better said emergently, the ghost of the machine flows in and out, giving atmosphere to the otherwise gloom inducing center piece.
108. The Twilight Sad – It Never Was The Same (Nobody Wants To Be Here And Nobody Wants To Leave)
There is a difference in sorrowful music I find underlined in everything The Twilight Sad do. You can either wallow in your sorrow, giving up, letting the pain overwhelm you in a set of rage or angst. OR you can thrive from sorrow, thrive with it. The downtrodden feeling never leaves in this tracks, but still, there is the notion of a small caress in the haunting chorus.
107. Phantogram – Bill Murray (Voices)
Disorientation, not spatially but spiritually, that is what Bill Murray represents in his best roles. I can feel someone cooking up a video collage with this mellow ode using material from Broken Flowers and Lost In Translation.
106. Iggy Azalea – Fancy feat. Charli XCX (The New Classic)
It´s sad how almost everyone who once lauded her moved away from Iggy with growing success and pop recognition. Discussions about cultural appropriation aside, Fancy is a well crafted pop song by a a woman who raps. Hip Hop only for those we really want to put on the tag, but undeniably one of the best hit songs of this year.
105. Lia Ices – Higher (Ices)
I don´t really know much about Lia Ices. But Higher is a blend of styles that has to be applauded. It is a strange colorful mess of some psychedelia mixed with contemporary trap bass. Who would expect a sitar and a electric guitar popping up as if it was the most natural thing to do.
104. Jay Sean – The Artist (The Mistress II)
I enjoy Jay Sean´s early work. His style of r´n´b wasn´t conscious or experimental in any way. Just dead honest songs about the usual themes of seduction, heartbreak and longing. But the world of clubbing shit sucked him in and made his music worse from release to release. Gladly he has realized this himself and The Mistress II is very much the return to the roots as promised. The Artist does Sean´s formula without much invention, but after years of boredom, this is enough.
103. Popcaan – Ghetto (Tired Of Crying) (Where We Come From)
If you like dancehall, Popcaan is this years go to artist. I never understand what he his talking about, but that doesn´t really weaken the impact. The sparse and accenting use of the steel drums throughout the song adds to the futuristic development of Popcaan´s dancehall.
102. Lost In The Trees – Daunting Friend (Past Life)
This is beautiful. Lost In The Trees evoke emotions with a fragility reminiscent of the best work by Keane. At best, their music will find their way into the radio, causing collisions and emotional breakdowns by distressed drivers all over the world.
101. Huey – Pedregulho (Ace)
Instrumental metal can fall flat quickly. On Ace Huey for the most part keep the ball rolling. Groovy sections kiss insane riffage, the drums roll through Pedregulho as if there was no tomorrow. It´s tension, tension, tension!
100. Fennesz – Liminality (Bécs)
Some may chide me for this reference: But Fennesz continues what Fripp&Eno started. The sense of space in Liminality is incredible, the guitars shoot through and the rising noise feels like drowning without the struggle for life ever creeping up in your shattering brain-cells.
125. Mr. Oizo – Mass Doom (The Church)
124. Wovenhand – The Refractory (Refractory Obdurate)
123. Real Estate – Talking Backwards (Atlas)
Real Estate make music I would have sucked up when I was thirteen years old and the world seemed to be a happy place. What are worries other then the knowledge of ending youth and approaching death. Still, there has to be a glimpse of naivety and for lack of a better term "optimism".
122. Zola Jesus – Go (Blank Sea) (Taiga)
121. Young Fathers – Get Up (Dead)
120. St. Paul &The Broken Bones – Half The City (Half The City)
I´m really not a fan of soul music, so St. Paul & The Broken Bells were an odd one out this year. Their interplay is tight and without actual proof, who would think that this is an all-white outfit. Even for my dislike of brass instrumentation, this track hits the spot.
119. Wolves Like Us – Lovescared (Black Soul Choir)
Lovescared isn´t really representative for Wolves Like Us. Their music fits the definition of hard rock for me. Strong handed and with an good amount of feeling. I´ve had the opportunity to see them life and saw a band that can make sense of the sentiment of the crowd, even with crazy stage antiques and shenanigans when Junius were playing. Here they move away from the electricity in every way and deliver a gripping ballad. The singer Larsh Kristensen comes close to sounding like Corey Taylor in his mellowest moments. I admire this song as I can image them on stage, toning it down for a breather and space for introspection.
118. Young Thug – Old English (feat. Freddie Gibbs & A$AP Ferg)
Remember Lil Wayne? As his music got weirder over time people must have been searching for artists that were born strange. Young Thug might become Wayne´s spiritual successor in many ways. His voice has a appealing broken quality to it and Old English, with excellent verses by Gibbs and Ferg, shows promise of an character that might not get chewed up by the short attention span of the blogger.
117. Kassem Mosse – Untitled A1 (Workshop 19)
Construct a dance track that gets people going without actually starting over it´s six minutes play time. This might be the best intro track this year. Various blimping impressions all combined over an whispering voice. Listenable improvisation mixed with experimentation.
116. Tycho – Montana (Awake)
When talking post-rock music, or instrumental music, I have digressed into the more heavier bands, those that build tension and a sense of despair as soon as their hands touch strings. Tycho goes the other way. Montana is sun soaked and rainbow colored bliss from beginning to end.
115. Marissa Nadler – Dead City Emily (July)
Reverb soaked instrumentation and operatic woman singing folky blues - or Marissa Nadler. Everyone who likes him some folk music will be pulled in by this voluminous voice, but it is when Nadler sings "Oh I saw the light today" and the linger of ethereal noise becomes present, that you will be caught in this little world for good.
114. Kindness – This Is Not About Us (Otherness)
Otherness wasn´t really worth mentioning this year if you heard Cupid Deluxe by Blood Orange in 2013. The two acts don´t share many similarities, but those that are present crushed the experience for me and the presence of Devonte Haynes is strongly felt. This Is Not About Us rectifies it´s spot for it´s great retro cow-bell beating beat.
113. Romeo Santos – Odio (feat. Drake) (La Fórmula Vol. 2)
I admit it, if it wasn´t for Drake this track would have no place here. The bachata sound isn´t really something I´d delve into in my free time, but here Santos delivery and the heart-breaky sound caught my attention and Drake just proved once again, that he can do it all.
112. Shabazz Palaces – #Cake (Lese Majesty)
Developing a really unique sound isn´t easy in Hip Hop music. Lese Majesty however showed how it is done. In a way, it is an overbearing effort and deserves much more attention than I have given to it yet. But #Cake hits as hard as it is strange. A bass heavy psychedelic epic.
111. Banks – Goddess (Goddess)
Banks´ debut album was very much anticipated following her excellent singles. Unfortunately, the appeals of her music does not lie in delivering a cohesive experience, one that shows a electronic influenced singer, like many else, taking a step outwards of categories and placing her aside from others. I´ll stick with Goddess and wait for her next brainchild.
Banks - Goddess from Shebaniah. on Vimeo.
110. Jhené Aiko – The Pressure (Souled Out)
Here we have a r´n´b songstress with a vision. Last years EP Sail Out skillfully handeled all the usual features with a rapper and gave Souled Out time for Jhené alone. The result is a beautifully blend of down-tempo and contemporary r´n´b music. The Pressure glows through Aiko´s warmth in her voice, no gimmicks and no rapper needed.
109. Mark E – Image, Monitor, Learn (Product Of Industry)
108. The Twilight Sad – It Never Was The Same (Nobody Wants To Be Here And Nobody Wants To Leave)
There is a difference in sorrowful music I find underlined in everything The Twilight Sad do. You can either wallow in your sorrow, giving up, letting the pain overwhelm you in a set of rage or angst. OR you can thrive from sorrow, thrive with it. The downtrodden feeling never leaves in this tracks, but still, there is the notion of a small caress in the haunting chorus.
107. Phantogram – Bill Murray (Voices)
Disorientation, not spatially but spiritually, that is what Bill Murray represents in his best roles. I can feel someone cooking up a video collage with this mellow ode using material from Broken Flowers and Lost In Translation.
106. Iggy Azalea – Fancy feat. Charli XCX (The New Classic)
It´s sad how almost everyone who once lauded her moved away from Iggy with growing success and pop recognition. Discussions about cultural appropriation aside, Fancy is a well crafted pop song by a a woman who raps. Hip Hop only for those we really want to put on the tag, but undeniably one of the best hit songs of this year.
105. Lia Ices – Higher (Ices)
I don´t really know much about Lia Ices. But Higher is a blend of styles that has to be applauded. It is a strange colorful mess of some psychedelia mixed with contemporary trap bass. Who would expect a sitar and a electric guitar popping up as if it was the most natural thing to do.
104. Jay Sean – The Artist (The Mistress II)
I enjoy Jay Sean´s early work. His style of r´n´b wasn´t conscious or experimental in any way. Just dead honest songs about the usual themes of seduction, heartbreak and longing. But the world of clubbing shit sucked him in and made his music worse from release to release. Gladly he has realized this himself and The Mistress II is very much the return to the roots as promised. The Artist does Sean´s formula without much invention, but after years of boredom, this is enough.
103. Popcaan – Ghetto (Tired Of Crying) (Where We Come From)
If you like dancehall, Popcaan is this years go to artist. I never understand what he his talking about, but that doesn´t really weaken the impact. The sparse and accenting use of the steel drums throughout the song adds to the futuristic development of Popcaan´s dancehall.
102. Lost In The Trees – Daunting Friend (Past Life)
This is beautiful. Lost In The Trees evoke emotions with a fragility reminiscent of the best work by Keane. At best, their music will find their way into the radio, causing collisions and emotional breakdowns by distressed drivers all over the world.
101. Huey – Pedregulho (Ace)
Instrumental metal can fall flat quickly. On Ace Huey for the most part keep the ball rolling. Groovy sections kiss insane riffage, the drums roll through Pedregulho as if there was no tomorrow. It´s tension, tension, tension!
100. Fennesz – Liminality (Bécs)
Some may chide me for this reference: But Fennesz continues what Fripp&Eno started. The sense of space in Liminality is incredible, the guitars shoot through and the rising noise feels like drowning without the struggle for life ever creeping up in your shattering brain-cells.
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