2014 YEAR END FAVORITES

We know you all have been very patiently waiting our year end list just to see what music we enjoyed in 2014, and what we recommend you check out if you have not yet done so.  There is an apology that needs to be made here, as we feel we have been somewhat neglectful of our blog lately, which was something we really wanted to pay more attention to when Electric Avenue opened.  Most of this neglect can be attributed to the fact that we were coming to terms with running a new business on our own, and one which has also grown over the past year more than expected (in other words, time was spent in other areas).

While we have had little time to think about updating our posts here, we have channeled the time we did have into interacting with many of you face to face.  It has been inspirational getting to know many of you personally in 2014.  We would like to take a moment to dedicate the following post to our friend, Gary Schade and his wife Katherine, who passed away suddenly two days following Thanksgiving in a tragic house fire.  Gary was one of our best and most involved customers here, and while his loss put a huge damper on the holiday season in many ways, his spirit lives on in all he did to help Electric Avenue, whether alerting us to music he liked by ordering and making purchases, promoting us at every opportunity, or doing little simple fixit jobs to help out around the store.  We would like to remember him as an Honorary Electric Avenue Team Member, and he is already greatly missed.

Enough of the sad and depressing...

Now comes the part Gary was looking forward to and would have enjoyed...our year end list.  Here are the records that moved us the most in 2014.  They are not always the top critical faves (sorry Rolling Stone, U2 was not our #1), but they either had something fresh to offer, were great guilty pleasures, or a return to form for artists from the past.  Some you may have heard of, and some not. Some you may have only heard a clip and really need to take in the whole project to get a true picture of the image being painted.  Without further ado then...

1  FUTURE ISLANDS--Singles
Our favorite record of the year was from a little known Baltimore band with a charismatic frontman in Sam Herring.  It proves that electronic pop music doesn't have to be twee or silly, and with reflective lyrics and riveting vocals, every track on Singles feels like a single.

2  PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART--Days of Abandon

POBPAH released their most confident album in 2014, with Kip Berman handing some of the vocal reins over to Jen Goma of the similarly cool A Sunny Day in Glasgow.  The tradeoff works well, and songs like "Simple and Sure" and "Eurydice" were some of the best songs of 2014 not to be featured in a John Hughes movie.

3  PAUL HEATON & JACQUI ABBOTT--What Have We Become?
Unbelievable that a record as good as this was not released in the US.  Heaton is a UK national treasure, between his work with the Housemartins and the Beautiful South.  Jacqui Abbott was the best female singer in the South, and left when she needed a break to raise a family.  Now, Heaton and Abbott are back together with a band that sounds like an amped-up early Style Council, suiting their barbs perfectly (the album ends with the lyrics "Phil Collins must die").  Worth seeking out!

4  MORRISSEY--World Peace is None of Your Business
Even with all the personal, tour, and label turmoil in 2014, Morrissey released his best solo album in nearly 20 years.  Worth the price alone for "Staircase at the University", Morrissey is about to reenter the studio to bang out another one while he's got a great band in tow.  Smart move...

5  LANA DEL REY--Ultraviolence
Some say overrated, some say underrated.  Regardless, she should be rated as one of the best jazz-rock singers out there now.  This album was decidedly more downbeat and hazy than the debut, but the fractured rock details provided by Dan Auerbach of Black Keys work in Del Rey's favor, even if it was difficult getting these tracks to radio.  Voice of a generation?

6  BECK--Morning Phase
An early contender for album of the year, Beck's first album in six years was the best Sunday morning album of the year, and featured orchestrations from his dad.  This might just be the album we will all be listening to for the longest time in the future.

7  WILD BEASTS--Present Tense
The Beasts have similar ethics to those of elder statesmen, Radiohead, yet they still remember how to write a good melody.  Seemingly, their best songs sound like deconstructions of fuller arrangements, and with more keyboard textures and vocals from two excellent singers (graduating from the Peter Gabriel School of Brooding Singers), Wild Beasts have quite a future ahead of them.  Now, if people just knew who they were...

8  BRIAN ENO & KARL HYDE--High Life
The best album to come out this year from a legendary producer and the lead singer of an electronic band (Underworld), this Eno collaboration was one of two releases to come out from this pair in 2014 (Someday World was the other).  This was our favorite of the two, as the songs stretched close to 10 minutes, and the vocals were more sporadically placed, allowing for breath in the arrangements.  A stunning work reminiscent of Eno's work with Talking Heads on Remain in Light...

9  NEW PORNOGRAPHERS--Brill Bruisers
Made up of a core trio of amazing artists in their own right (AC Newman, Neko Case, and Dan Bejar of Destroyer), somehow New Pornographers manage to get together and sync up their schedules every few years to make a record, and this one was a corker.  Bejar is such a quirky presence alone, and here he contributes the catchiest track with "War on the East Coast".  Relentlessly catchy!

10  DAMON ALBARN--Everyday Robots
Damon quietly turned in his most intimate album in 2014 away from Gorillaz and Blur.  He sounds like the kind of guy you'd hang around and trade stories with, and this one is what you'd want to hear after stumbling home from the bar late at night.  

11  THESE NEW PURITANS--Field of Reeds
How did these guys get this together and make it work?  Quirky British art rock goes cerebral...

12  BRYAN FERRY--Avonmore
His best album in 20 years is so confident and self-assured, he never needs to change style again.

13  SNOWBIRD--Moon
One Cocteau Twin (Simon Raymonde) finds life worth living with wildlife and Stephanie Dosen.

14  MARIANNE FAITHFULL--Give My Love to London
This is the latest brilliant record from the Grand Dame.  Nick Cave, Roger Waters, Brian Eno, etc.

15  SUN KIL MOON--Benji
Mark Kozelek may need an attitude adjustment but this was one of the best albums of the year.

16  TENNIS--Ritual in Repeat
Fantastically hummable album from great married duo--for fans of Beach House and Best Coast

17  KYLIE MINOGUE--Kiss Me Once
Guilty pleasure with best pop album of 2014, executive produced by Sia Furler (#44)

18  JAMES--La Petite Mort
Lyrics about the loss of loved ones meets optimistic music for one of the best in their long career 

19  THE HORRORS--Luminous
Fearless band goes through so many style changes.  Too bad about cancellation of the US tour though

20  SCOTT WALKER & SUNNO)))--Soused
Dark septuagenarian meets metal with songs about dictators and such.  Happy New Year!

21  ROYKSOPP--The Inevitable End
Their last album with many songs about death and the end.  Sad, yes, but production of the year?

22  MR. TWIN SISTER--Mr. Twin Sister
Another incredible production from NY band who have been through tough times.  More to come??

23  MUSIC GO MUSIC--Impressions
ABBA are alive and well and making albums called Impressions.  Addictive!

24  EX HEX--Rips
Riot girls dig up the ghosts of the Runaways and Go-Go's for a fantastic record of short, sharp songs

25  MURRAY LIGHTBURN--Mass:Light
Dears lead singer does it all alone with more electronics on this visceral project.

26  INFORMATION SOCIETY--Hello World
First album featuring original 3 members in 22 years!  Worth the wait!

27  SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR--Wanderlust
UK dance maven goes acoustic and dark on this Ed Harcourt aided project.  More please?

28  NEIL FINN--Dizzy Heights
Latest change from Split Enz/Crowded House leader, featuring both sons and his wife on bass...

29  2 BEARS--The Night is Young
We love Hot Chip, and 2 Bears featuring Joe Goddard of HC are not far behind.  This one's great!

30  KAISER CHIEFS--Education Education Education & War
Cruelly underrated album of political and societal reflections on the UK.  Catchy stuff!

31  WYE OAK--Shriek
Baltimore band WO pull off moving more electronic due to Jenn Wasner's hypnotic vocals.

32  PREATURES--Planet Blue Eyes
Haim didn't release an LP in 2014, but with records this good, they aren't missed as much...

33  ST. VINCENT--St. Vincent
The more popular Wye Oak, #1 on Entertainment Weekly's list...yeah, it's pretty darn good...

34  LYKKE LI--I Never Learn
Raw and personal album from U2 collaborator, dark and lovely

35  APHEX TWIN--Syro
Qrrky...blip blip blip...what's a syro anywhoo???

36  JIMI GOODWIN--Odludek
Solo record from the Doves leader.  Some great experimental stuff here and help from Guy of Elbow

37  TEMPLES--Sun Structures
Best 60's prog-pop album of 2014.  Can't wait to hear what they'll do for a second act!

38  LA ROUX--Trouble in Paradise
Sadly overlooked return after five years from troubled duo (now single).  NME agrees.

39  FIRST AID KIT--Stay Gold
How can two Swedish teenage girls do Americana better than Americans?  Breathtaking!

40  OWEN PALLETT--In Conflict
Arcade Fire orchestrator finds his voice with this complex and candid album.

41  SPOON--They Want My Soul
Best mainstream indie-rock album of 2014 perhaps?  They hit their stride again...

42  RAVEONETTES--Pe'Ahi
"I saw my dad f**k a redhead whore, I never thought I would..."  Overlooked fuzzy masterpiece...

43  ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN--Meteorites
Their best album in 20 years.  There, I said it...

44  SIA--1,000 Forms of Fear
"Chandelier" chanteuse who refuses to show her face makes another very good album.  Why Sia??

45  TV ON THE RADIO--Seeds
Hip band returns with their most catchy and polished album to date after personal tragedy

46  WAR ON DRUGS--Lost in the Dream
One of the best breakthough albums of the year even if Mark Kozelek doesn't think so...

47  ELBOW--Take Offs and Landings of Everything
Quietly making another album we'll be listening to in 20 years...

48 JOHN HARLE & MARC ALMOND--The Tyburn Tree
Companion type of album to Marianne Faithfull's exploring the darker side of historic London

49  SWANS--To Be Kind
Visceral, uncompromising, long, tortured, long, St. Vincent, long...

50  SIMPLE MINDS--Big Music
Another great alternative to the new U2 album (they've actually been around longer)

Honorable mentions:

TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS--Hypnotic Eye

KELIS--Food

JENNY LEWIS--Voyager

HOZIER--Hozier

SMASHING PUMPKINS--Monuments to an Elegy

WEEZER--Everything Will be Alright in the End

SINEAD O'CONNOR--I'm Not Bossy, I'm the Boss

KASABIAN--48:13

MANIC STREET PREACHERS--Futurology

REAL ESTATE--Atlas

PERFUME GENIUS--Too Bright

BASEMENT JAXX--Junto

HOLLIE COOK--Twice

D'ANGELO--Black Messiah

RYAN ADAMS--Ryan Adams

TODD TERJE--It's Album Time

LILY ALLEN--Sheezus

JOHNNY MARR--Playland

ALT-J--This is All Yours

MERCHANDISE--After the End

DUM DUM GIRLS--Too True

DAMIEN RICE--My Favourite Faded Fantasy

FKA TWIGS--LP1

TOY--Join the Dots

BLACK KEYS--Turn Blue

INTERPOL--El Pintor

SUZANNE VEGA--Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles

BOB MOULD--Beauty & Ruin

JACK WHITE--Lazaretto

MARTIN CARR--Breaks

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS--English Oceans

PRINCE--Art Official Age

PRINCE & 3RDEYEGIRL--Plectrumelectrum

LONDON GRAMMAR--If You Wait

COLDPLAY--Ghost Stories

ERLAND & THE CARNIVAL--Closing Time

ENGINEERS--Always Returning

STEVIE NICKS--24K Gold

ROYAL BLOOD--Royal Blood

BROKEN BELLS--After the Disco

BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT--Life is Easy

CYMBALS--Age of Fracture

SAM SMITH--In the Lonely Hour

JESSIE WARE--Tough Love

ZOLA JESUS--Taiga

ERASURE--The Violet Flame

FRESH & ONLYS--House of Spirits

IAMAMIWHOAMI--Blue

VISAGE--Hearts & Knives
U2--Songs of Innocence

Happy New Year!

BEST OF THE FIRST HALF OF 2014

Talk about long overdue!  We're sorry we have not been more communicative on the blog as of late.  So many things got in the way this spring with Record Store Day 2014 (Thanks very much to our supporters!) and a full release schedule that seemed never-ending, and now summer is here!  Kids may just be getting out of school, but they'll be going back in about 8 or 9 weeks (not that long, really), and the fall release schedule begins heating up.  Since we were approaching Midpoint 2014, we thought it was a good time to take a look back and reflect on our favorite records of 2014 up to now.

It's been an odd year in some ways, with a certain hangover of big releases from last year (Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, etc.), and some big releases this year that got a lot of buzz, but maybe haven't captured that rabid fandom those others have.  There have been releases from heavy hitters like Beck, Black Keys, Jack White, Coldplay, Neil Young, the Roots, and Bruce Springsteen, that have all had varying degrees of success.  Some say Coldplay was too soft, Springsteen too hard, with Beck being just right if you wanted a Sunday morning record from him.  In any event, we heard a boatload of things we liked, even if they did not all go on to become platinum sellers (What does these days anyhow?).  So many of these were SO good, we think you may want to reassess whether or not you need them in your collection.  Answer...you DO  (We always suggest vinyl but CD would work too).  Now that we've strung you along, here is our latest set of records to revel in, and always remember to support the artists buy purchasing their music...that way they can make more:



1) LANA DEL REY--Ultraviolence
Whether or not you buy into Lizzie as Lana could be a deciding factor for you, but Ultraviolence is quite possibly the album that will solidify her talent as the real deal, regardless of what you think of the persona. Ultraviolence plays like the older, darker sister to 2011's Born to Die, and a good comparison would be the Cure's Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me as Born to Die and Disintegration as Ultraviolence...It's that much darker, heavier, murkier, and bleaker, mostly due to Dan Auerbach's (Black Keys) production.  He manages to bring these songs haunted arrangements to frame her ghostly vocals around while giving her a more mature palate to draw from.  Whether fractured and frail ("Sad Girl") or tortured and possessed ("Money Power Glory"), there is a certain despair that exists in these songs that was not present in her past work to this extent.  Fortunately the mood changes with songs like "West Coast", which sits nicely in the middle of the record as a great single with a shuffling beat and time change featuring a guitar-line quote from the Beatles' "And I Love Her", making the song all the more nostalgic and poignant.  An even bigger musical debt falls to "Old Money", which almost directly lifts the Love Theme from "Romeo & Juliet" ("A Time for Us" by Nino Rota), that brings on the heavy Godfather vibes (anyone for pasta?).  It's an ingenious thing to do, but without the chanteuse to pull it off, it would be much less.  (Imagine Jennifer Lopez or Britney Spears performing this song--cringeworthy!)  Song titles like "Cruel World", "Pretty When You Cry", and "F**ked My Way Up to the Top" really say it all, like Eminem by way of Billie Holiday.  I can see David Lynch calling her up shortly for a cameo, guest appearance, or theme song...

2) PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART--Days of Abandon
As much as I have talked this record, people seem rather reluctant to embrace it.  My goal is not to oversell, my goal is to spread positivity when I feel strongly about something.  I feel strongly about this.  It's sort of derivative and like Belle and Sebastian without the Scottish emotional baggage, but it features some really top-notch alt-pop songwriting and arrangements, and there is something so carefree infused in the jangle that would make even Morrissey happy.

3) FUTURE ISLANDS--Singles
One of the best bands from Baltimore that isn't Beach House, Samuel T. Herring has not only mastered the art of duck-and-cover dance moves, he has also mastered some pretty great songwriting.  Singles, produced by Chris Coady, takes their sound to elevated levels, yet finds a balance to retain some of their quirkier and edgier material.  A song like "Fall From Grace" goes full throttle when Herring wants to stress how deeply he feels about something.  It's like technopop voiced by a black metal singer, and the fact that Herring has this ability to shift his tone is remarkable.  This should be just the beginning of a big new career for them, and shows how to make fans of metal, mainstream, and hipster all happy about something simultaneously.

4) WILD BEASTS--Present Tense




5) THESE NEW PURITANS--Field of Reeds




6) SUN KIL MOON--Benji




7) SNOWBIRD--Moon




8) THE HORRORS--Luminous




9) TEMPLES--Sun Structures




10) BECK--Morning Phase

11) KAISER CHIEFS--Education, Education & War
12) JOHN HARLE & MARC ALMOND--The Tyburn Tree
13) NEIL FINN--Dizzy Heights
14) KYLIE MINOGUE--Kiss Me Once
15) ST. VINCENT--St. Vincent
16) BRIAN ENO & KARL HYDE--Someday World
17) WYE OAK--Shriek
18) WAR ON DRUGS--Lost in the Dream
19) SWANS--To Be Kind
20) LILY ALLEN--Sheezus
21) DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS--English Oceans
22) BLACK KEYS--Turn Blue
23) LYKKE LI--I Never Learn
24) JACK WHITE--Lazaretto
25) FIRST AID KIT--Stay Gold
26) ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN--Meteorites
27) BROKEN BELLS--After the Disco
28) TOY--Join the Dots
29) REAL ESTATE--Atlas
30) BOB MOULD--Beauty & Ruin

Roll on, 2014!

Our favorite records of winter 2014

Let's hope that winter is actually winding down because this one was B R U T A L!  Our first winter open and Mother Nature was none too kind, as we were actually closed for five full days.  March is here, and while it is still under 20 degrees outside, we wanted to look back at the first couple months of 2014 and let you know what our favorite releases so far have been.  These records were easy to miss if you haven't been out and about, but there may be two or three you feel worth adding to your want list.  By the way, each one of these albums works better when listened to as a whole rather than as single tracks.  Take our word for it.


OUR FAVORITES:

SUN KIL MOON--Benji
Mark Kozelek has been recording for 20 years now, whether solo, collaborative, or as a member of Red House Painters or Sun Kil Moon.  Benji (whose title was inspired by the dog movie from the 70's) is one of Mark's most personal records to date.  While there is plenty of storytelling going on, this one includes riveting tales of people who have died.  Whether stories of mass death relating to 9/11 or the Newtown school massacre, serial killers and their victims, or family members like is mother, father, cousin and her father, all are riveting when put through the Kozelek blender.  There are also stories of his first teenage sexual conquest and trips to visit the head of his former record label in Santa Fe (Ivo Watts-Russell of 4AD Records, an Englishman who actually does currently reside in Santa Fe).  While Mark sonically cribs from the Neil Young school of acoustic records, there is enough of his personality here to show what a true and unique voice he has.  The future will likely find Mark as one of the most talented writers of this generation, and Benji as one of his best albums.

THESE NEW PURITANS--Field of Reeds
Possibly the definition of "critically acclaimed", the third album by These New Puritans is not for everyone.  It's not really anything like traditional rock music.  In fact, it may even be it's own new genre of music.  The closest relation would be something like Robert Wyatt or the later Talk Talk albums, a hybrid of jazz, classical, and English folk with a dark side.  Choirs, brass, bells, organs...plus a male lead singer with a conversational voice and a Portuguese female singer who appears more like a guest artist, words are used sparingly and poetically here to convey a feeling of hazy love and searching for life connections.  This is definitely the record for people who are looking for something different and prefer their music with a healthy dose of art.

WILD BEASTS--Present Tense
Returning with their fourth album, Wild Beasts have an interesting sound, and Present Tense is their strongest effort to date.  Every one of their albums presents something different, and they have changed a lot over the years, from a sort of somewhat noisy indie rock band, to a darker, smoother, post-Radiohead styled art rock band with a penchant for sexual themes and male singers with high voices.  The voices we speak of are Hayden Thorpe (the higher voice), and Tom Fleming (the lower of the two--a bit like Guy Garvey or Elbow or Peter Gabriel), and whether solo per song or weaving in and out of each other's voices, Wild Beasts is a riveting example of a less-is-more approach.  Present Tense feels like a record that originally had many more layers that were stripped away as it was mixed, as lone guitar textures or singular synth lines resonate now with importance and clarity.  Not the most immediate record, it's the kind of album that rewards on repeated listenings, and bodes well for the future of the band.

AND THESE:

ST VINCENT--St Vincent

REAL ESTATE--Atlas

BECK--Morning Phase

NEIL FINN--Dizzy Heights

TEMPLES--Sun Structures

SNOWBIRD--Moon

TOY--Join the Dots

BROKEN BELLS--After the Disco


PLUS FIVE:

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS--English Oceans
CYMBALS--Age of Fracture
DUM DUM GIRLS--Too True
BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB--So Long, See You Tomorrow
SUZANNE VEGA--Tales from the Realm of the Queen of Pentacles

Our Top Album Picks of 2013 (Part 2)

FINALLY, Eryn finished her list.  While there may be some overlap with Jason's list, there are some differences as well, just to prove that we are not the same person (aka Michael & Diana).  Here she goes:

ERYN'S LIST:  BEST ALBUMS OF 2013

1)  WOODKID--The Golden Age
Yoann Lemoine made an indelible mark with this incredible debut record in 2013.  The dramatic music.  The brooding vocals.  The haunting lyrics.  The spectacular videos.  Even Absolut Vodka loves this stuff.  A debut for the record books in sheer amazingness.

2)  JANELLE MONAE--The Electric Lady
Monae is a one of a kind talent in a world of generic R&B-ers, and while she may not hit the top of the charts as much as Beyonce or Rihanna, she is in a class of her own.  To be able to release this sophomore record and hang tough with the likes of Prince and Erykah Badu, hats off to this disarming charmer.

3)  DAFT PUNK--Random Access Memories
A virtual history lesson in dancepop and disco, Daft Punk had the audacity to eschew pure electronic bliss in favor of layered tracks laced with orchestra, acoustic guitar, piano, and live drums.  Then add disco Gods Nile Rodgers and Giorgio Moroder to the mix with a touch of the legendary Paul Williams and modern contributors Pharrell, Panda Bear, and Julian from the Strokes.  Somehow, it all works.  This puts two albums by French guys in Eryn's top 3.  Guess those years spent learning French continue to resonate...

 

4)  ARCTIC MONKEYS--AM
Are those sound waves, sunglasses, or a bikini top on the cover?  No matter, as Arctic Monkeys created one of the grooviest albums of the year, and well written and sung as well.  Five albums in and they keep getting better.

5)  WILLY MOON--Here's Willy Moon
Fun and very underrated, Willy Moon made some very catchy retro pop in 2013.  "Yeah Yeah" was a monster in advertisements, but there was also a spooky vibe to some of the more downbeat tracks.  He also covers Jack White.  Ballsy.

6)  DAVID BOWIE--The Next Day
Can't say any more about this that I have not already said except you MUST buy this NOW and is MUST be in your collection.  His first work in a decade, but his BEST work in 30 years.  What's your excuse?

7)  FUTURE BIBLE HEROES--Partygoing
Stephen Merritt suffers from tinnitus and cannot play this album live, so you should do the next best thing and get this album.  Dark humor always wins out, and with songs like "Keep Your Children in a Coma", you cannot lose.

8)  ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ROOTS--Wise Up Ghost
A kooky idea on paper turns into a brilliant idea on record.  Costello rejigs old lyrics with new while the Roots provide a suitably funky and appropriate background beat.  In a year that saw Jimmy Fallon's backing band advance to the new Tonight Show musical group, there is some serious magic at work here.

9)  SUEDE--Bloodsports
Best reunion album of the year, back with original producer, Ed Buller.  Like they picked things up right after the Trash album of 1996.

10)  NINE INCH NAILS--Hesitation Marks
Brilliant return to form and more mature with more subtleties in the mix, Trent Reznor has not lost his touch for making great records.  Some serious anger is bubbling just below the surface, but Trent does all he can not to show his hand so easily.  Those years of making soundtracks like The Social Network and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo have made his own work that much better.

11)  HAIM--Days Are Gone
12)  VAMPIRE WEEKEND--Modern Vampires of the City
13)  PET SHOP BOYS--Electric
14)  EMPIRE OF THE SUN--Ice on the Dune
15)  ARCADE FIRE--Reflektor
16)  GOLDFRAPP--Tales of Us
17)  PHOENIX--Bankrupt!
18)  FRANZ FERDINAND--Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action
19)  CHVRCHES--The Bones of What You Believe
20)  CUT COPY--Free Your Mind
21)  FITZ & THE TANTRUMS--More Than Just a Dream
22)  SHOUT OUT LOUDS--Optica
23)  CAMERA OBSCURA--Desire Lines
24)  HOLY GHOST!--Dynamics
25)  YEAH YEAH YEAHS--Mosquito

Honorable Mentions:
RHYE--Open
JOHN LEGEND--Love in the Future
TEGAN & SARA--Heartthrob
M.I.A.--Matangi
SLEIGH BELLS--Bitter Rivals

Our Top Album Picks of 2013 (Part 1)

As 2013 winds down, we want to take a quick glance back on the year in music that was, and maybe shine a little light on what we thought were the best albums of the year.  Ah, albums...a quaint idea, right?  WRONG.  Nothing in the world of recorded modern popular music makes a bigger statement than an album that plays from beginning to end, taking you on a voyage of emotion specifically plotted and created by the artists involved in making them.  Sure, you could cherry pick singles or tracks you like here and there, but not only would you be missing some of their most vibrant work, you are doing a disservice to yourself by stunting your musical growth by limiting the process of exploration.  There have been many albums with songs that may take a while to seep into our consciousness, and many times, those same songs will become our favorites in the long run because they wear better upon repeated playing.  This process of music discovery is a unique journey, and if it's all too familiar on first listen, what's left to gain? This is why so many of the pop kids sound completely interchangeable these days.  On that note...

Here are Jason's favorites of the year, and check back for Eryn's coming up soon.  Maybe you'll find something you wish to check out for yourself.

JASON'S LIST--BEST ALBUMS OF 2013:

1) PRIMAL SCREAM--More Light
Bobby Gillespie and co. return with the best album of their 20+ year career, mixing the best of their past with dashes of Bowie, Can, Sun Ra, Stones, Zeppelin, dub reggae...and making it all their own.  This is the sound of a great rock & roll band effortlessly blending their best qualities, and what a feat it can be making something so difficult sound so easy to do. 

2) WOODKID--The Golden Age
A conceptual album of the highest artistic order, Yoann Lemoine aka Woodkid, released one of the most startling debuts of the year with an album detailing the tale of a young boy fighting against all odds and ultimately losing his tragic battle.  Mixing a little of Nick Cave, Antony Hegarty, and Marc Almond, Lemoine's baritone flexes against the pounding and tribal rhythms in the upbeat songs, while gently smoothing out the ballads with heartfelt tenderness.  While it's seriously difficult to believe this is his first album, one can only wonder where on earth he goes from here.  Brilliant.

3) JOHN GRANT--Pale Green Ghosts
Reading like pages of his diary, Grant's fearlessness comes full force on this album, his followup to 2010's Queen of Denmark (chosen by Mojo Magazine as it's 2010 album of the year).  Both humorous and heartbreaking, Grant's dark and brooding voice is set against downbeat folk rock and stark electronic textures courtesy of Iceland's Gus Gus.  While there is a fair amount of soapboxing going on here, funny songs like "GMF" and "Sensitive New Age Guy" lighten the mood.  Simultaneously, the closing "Glacier" is one of the most transcendent songs in recent memory.  

4) MOONFACE--Julia With Blue Jeans On
Just a guy and his piano, Spencer Krug (Wolf Parade, Sunset Rubdown) shows off some amazing talent on an album extolling the virtues of an ex-girlfriend in this modern song cycle.  Recalling a mixture of Nick Drake and Nick Cave, these highly personal songs were recorded live and feature no studio overdubs.  This was Krug's first album from all of his projects to be so stripped down, and it's all the better as the songs get the chance to breathe in direct ways.  An astonishing piece of work.

5) PET SHOP BOYS--Electric
Coming a mere 10 months after their previous album, the muted Elysium, this British duo have continued to create fantastic pop music for the past 30 years.  Their latest, Electric, is the first on their own record label (x2), and features production from master electronic producer Stuart Price (Madonna, The Killers).  Expanding some of their songs in a looser format than usual, Electric ultimately continues the trajectory of Tennant-Lowe's history of witty and emotional songwriting that, with such a rich career, should place them in the category with other past luminaries like Lennon and McCartney.

6) DAVID BOWIE--The Next Day
An album most of us never thought would be made, Bowie shocked and surprised at the beginning of the year with his first release in a decade, and what a release it was.  The Next Day is invigorating with a sound that recalls some of his best past work like Heroes or Scary Monsters (Tony Visconti returns as producer), but lyrically stares down the end of a life that sees the number of days ahead shrinking.  Fire and brimstone are the word of the day here, yet the cover belies a flippant reaction to this weighty subject.  In a year that lost Lou Reed, the return of Bowie was almost like a resurrection. 

7) THE KNIFE--Shaking the Habitual
Certainly one of the most dividing records of the year, the Swedish brother-sister duo that make up The Knife returned with their first album of new material in seven years (Fever Ray came in-between).  Most of the songs clock in around the 8-minute mark, as this record stretches over two CDs or three LPs.  There's even an ambient track in the middle running nearly 20 minutes.  Still, the grinding industrial rhythms clash against sounds that seem as though they were created at the bottom of an Asian sea, as these tracks don't always function as songs, more often as sound collages.  Not for the faint of heart.

8) JAGWAR MA--Howlin
A liberating mix of British Oasis-style psychedelic rock mixed with late-80's rave culture, Australia's Jagwar Ma manage to find a sound that sits somewhere between the Stone Roses' debut and Primal Scream's Screamadelica.  These are not shabby reference points, to be sure.  Guitars weave in and out as dubby drums smash against walls of sequencers and trippy looped vocals.  With their debut, JM have managed to create something that references specific sounds of the past while retaining a fair amount of indivuality and originality.  Plus, it's damned catchy.

9) TEGAN & SARA--Heartthrob
Twin sisters Tegan & Sara have been making music for a decade, but it took producer Greg Kurstin (Kylie Minogue, Bird & the Bee) to really turn them on to the poppier side of their sound.  They are all the better for it, making the best pop record of the year (the similar Haim was close, but there's room for both). Recalling 80's Fleetwood Mac at their most melodic (again, see Haim), Tegan & Sara took a chance on alienating their audience, but have found a larger new one in the process, and have shown growth potential while also showing their fans another side of themselves.  This was an album that kept giving all year.

10) NINE INCH NAILS--Hesitation Marks
Nine Inch Nails is no longer the new band it once was--Trent Reznor's project has been active off and on for nearly 25 years now, yet Hesitation Marks is one of his freshest releases to date.  Reznor has shaken some of the shackles of the expectations of what an industrial album must sound like in 2013, with his work on soundtracks like The Social Network and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo an influence.  He doesn't seem to be trying so hard to please here, finding more space in between the sounds, allowing for more creative textural nuances.  It's a slow-burning album with much of the anger tucked under the surface rather than being thrown in your face, and because of that, rewards on repeated listenings.  After a long break, this was another welcome return.


11) NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS--Push the Sky Away
12) CUT COPY--Free Your Mind
13) M.I.A.--Matangi
14) VAMPIRE WEEKEND--Modern Vampires of the City
15) JANELLE MONAE--The Electric Lady
16) CHVRCHES--The Bones of What You Believe
17) EMPIRE OF THE SUN--Ice on the Dune
18) SUEDE--Bloodsports
19) PREFAB SPROUT--Crimson/Red
20) ARCADE FIRE--Reflektor
21) YEAH YEAH YEAHS--Mosquito
22) SHOUT OUT LOUDS--Optica
23) NEKO CASE--The Worse Things Get, the Harder I Fight, the Harder I Fight...
24) GOLDFRAPP--Tales of Us
25) OMD--English Electric
26) ALISON MOYET--The Minutes
27) HOLY GHOST!--Dynamics
28) OH LAND--Wishbone
29) HAIM--Days Are Gone
30) VV BROWN--Samson & Delilah
31) ARCTIC MONKEYS--AM
32) JULIA HOLTER--Loud City Song
33) SIGUR ROS--Kveikur
34) THE VEILS--Time Stays, We Go
35) LAURA MARLING--Once I Was an Eagle
36) RHYE--Open
37) DAFT PUNK--Random Access Memories
38) ST. LUCIA--When the Night
39) ELVIS COSTELLO & THE ROOTS--Wise Up Ghost
40) SAVAGES--Silence Yourself
41) FUTURE BIBLE HEROES--Partygoing
42) LORDE--Pure Heroine
43) LITTLE BOOTS--Nocturnes
44) LADY GAGA--Artpop
45) YOUNG GALAXY--Ultramarine
46) MARY ONETTES--Hit the Waves
47) DEPECHE MODE--Delta Machine
48) JOSEPH ARTHUR--Ballad of Boogie Christ
49) CAMERA OBSCURA--Desire Lines
50) IAMX--Unified Field

Album Spotlight: SUEDE--Dog Man Star

Suede always seem to get the short end of the stick.  Along with Pulp, they were one of the bands that shifted the early 90's Britpop revival into full gear, a dubious distinction which they themselves might not be too keen on, and would pave the way for mega-bands like Oasis and Blur.  Fusing influences such as The Smiths and David Bowie (and a bit of Pink Floyd here), Suede were unique in that they had a distinct rock edge, while also knowing when a sparse piano ballad would do the trick.  With an enigmatic and charismatic front man, Brett Anderson displayed his individual talent by not only writing lyrics containing tales of the downtrodden and dispossessed, but also infusing them with the right amount of sneer, pathos, and vulnerability.  Bernard Butler was his highly talented sideman, a guitarist (and sometime pianist) with extreme talents who has since gone on to big production gigs (Duffy "Rockferry"), and during his later days with Suede as on the making of Dog Man Star, their second LP, suffered from bouts of depression and social ostracism after the recent death of his father.  This combustible combination of band captains led to the demise of Suede MK1 as this album was being completed, and Butler would soon be replaced by newspaper ad respondent and teenage guitar wunderkind, Richard Oakes.  However, before Butler was sent packing, he helped craft the band's sophomore album, not only a fantastic example of what 90's Britpop had the potential of becoming, but also one of this author's favorite records of all time.

The cover image was considered somewhat controversial at the time of release (October 1994), but suits the music perfectly, and is typical Suede, as the ambiguous image of their debut LP featured two androgynous women sharing a passionate kiss.  "Introducing the Band" is an apt way to open the record, showing Suede in a more psych-drone-y way than they've been before or since.  When they released "The Wild Ones" as a single, "Introducing the Band" became a B-side with a 15-minute Brian Eno ambient remix, but here it has more punch, laying out the band's intentions in a couple minutes with some riveting opening lyrics ("Dog man star took a suck on a pill, and stabbed a cerebellum with a curious quill...").  This was followed by the glam-rocking "We Are the Pigs", a song which halted their run of big hit singles in the UK.  Not the best choice for a lead single, British kids just didn't get know what to do with it, and knowing that Butler was out of the band already did not help.  Additionally, the song has a darker political and psychedelic tone than anything from their debut's era, but even Lady Gaga would appreciate the chorus lyrics ("We Are the Pigs, We Are the Swine, We Are the Stars of the Firing Line"), and the song closes with children chanting the words "We'll watch them burn".  "Heroine" really lifts the album up a bit where needed, and reflects the glammier side of Suede with tales of lust and debauchery.  Butler's guitar absolutely cuts through the dense textures and "Heroine" remains one of the albums most rousing moments for it.

"The Wild Ones" follows, and will stand as one of the best songs of the 90's Britpop era.  Opening with Butler's strummed acoustic guitar and Anderson's croon in a lower register, the song gradually builds over five minutes into something magical that closely resembles this era's "Heroes"(Bowie), and probably should have been the lead single.  An elegant ballad with nuances that Oasis could have only hoped to reach, "The Wild Ones" was their second consecutive single not to reach the British top 10, even though the album still managed a UK number three placing.  "Daddy's Speeding" is an atmospheric ballad detailing a reckless drive behind the wheel backed by haunting piano lines and a scuzzy building guitar over five minutes of little-to-no drums, ending with the sound of a car crash.  "The Power" closes the first half, and remains bittersweet for the band as it is the only track not to feature Butler on guitar.  It's a swaying ballad that would not have been out of place on Bowie's Hunky Dory, and it's "lalala" closing refrains let in just a little light from all the sadness, anger, and longing up to this point.

"New Generation" begins Side 2 with something a bit more optimistically pounding and catchy.  It was the third single not to make the top 10 (it peaked at #21 while previous singles both made #18), but by this point the band were on their way to America to promote the album (they never registered with US listeners much, besides the fact they were still fighting name recognition against Maryland folk singer Suede, being forced to operate under the name "The London Suede" to avoid confusion).  The heaviest rocker on the album, "This Hollywood Life", is up next, and with tales of fantastic icons of the silver screen with a super-glam treatment, builds to a massive cliff of a climax.

What follows is what some would consider ballad heavy.  However, if ballads such as these are the stock in trade, they could have written and recorded album after album of them.  That this album does not sag under their weight belies just how strong the arrangements and material sound 20 years later.  "The 2 of Us" is a dark ballad that absolutely haunts, bridging the gap between glam and goth with its deep atmosphere.  Followed by the slightly lighter "Black or Blue", there is still an air of something gone awry, lovers lost to drugs, or something much worse.  The nearly 10-minute "Asphalt World", the centerpiece of the album, manages to hold your attention for the full running time with a prog-rock build containing some of Butler's best guitar work on record, some of Anderson's best singing, and while the band were literally coming apart at the seams, they continued to create some of their most vital and intriguing work.  The album closes with the epic string-drenched "Still Life", one of the best album closers of all time.  A song so good it could never be a radio single, cascades of orchestra mixed with Ed Buller's sometimes eerie production and Anderson's most sensitive singing that  hint at regret and loss.  It's a chilling tearjerker of the highest order.

Fans of Suede know the castoffs from their first two albums which were used as B-sides were generally as good as the album tracks, and most were included on the Sci-Fi Lullabies compilation.  However, Dog Man Star remains the favorite album of most Suede fans, even though it was generally misunderstood at the time it was released.  It is so highly regarded today that it was recently ranked the #31 album of all time by the NME staff of reviewers in England ahead of Paul's Boutique, Abbey Road, and London Calling.  Originally released on indie Nude Records in the UK and Columbia in the US, Edsel Records did a big remaster program on the Suede catalog a couple years ago as triple disc packages, crammed with bonus tracks and a DVD featuring concert footage from each of their five albums up to their extended hiatus after 2002's A New Morning.  This year's Bloodsports saw most of Suede (excepting Butler) reunited to channel some of that magic again, yet Anderson has said he feels they have yet to make their masterpiece.  With albums like Dog Man Star, they may be trying to top it for many years to come.

Album Spotlight: JANELLE MONAE--The Electric Lady

There have been many reviews of Janelle Monae's recent albums written and published.  So why do I feel so possessed to write another one?  Because Monae's talent is so undeniable, that regardless of what style of music you are into, you should not deny yourself the ability to experience her music.  Growing up through much of her childhood in Kansas City, KS (go Kansas!), Monae's father had drug problems, and her mother was a housekeeper in a hotel, a job Janelle also took alongside her as a teenager.  Using music as an escape, Janelle eventually got to go away to college in Atlanta where she met many of the people in her band that still play on her records.  Sean Combs (P. Diddy) was so impressed, he took a chance and signed her to his record label, which would allow her the artistic freedom to explore all sides of her music personalities.  While artists like Stevie Wonder and Prince loom large in the Monae-verse of inspirations, other styles she inhabits include pop, jazz, funk, hip-hop, folk, psychedelic rock, rockabilly, R&B, Bond-style balladry, and all shades in-between.  Her visual style sees her in numerous uniform-style outfits and tuxedos (mostly black and white), throwbacks to her uniform-wearing days from her hotel job.  She has the stage presence, energy, and dancing ability of James Brown or Prince in their prime.  The Electric Lady is technically her second album, although she had an early EP (Suite I) previously released.  That effort featured a few tracks which collectively introduced the Archandroid concept that Monae has mined ever since.  A Messianic android from the future (2719 to be exact), Monae has been genoraped and cloned, then time travels back to our current world as Cindi Mayweather, the android who will lead the oppressed out of Metropolis (another inspiration), alter the course of the future, and be reunited with her true love, Sir Anthony Greendown.  (This is further explained in the liner notes from her last full length, The Archandroid (2010), featuring Suites II and III).

Admittedly, all of this highbrow conceptualism would hopelessly fail if Monae didn't have the musical chops to back it up.  She does, and then some.  The Electric Lady is a tighter record than it's predecessor, and while it does feature many of similar stylistic diversions, they are less expansive, allowing Monae to clarify her vision a bit more.  While moments of wild experimentation from the previous album ("Mushrooms & Roses", "Wondaland", BaBopByeYa") are less prominent, Monae amps up the energy a bit here, still has her experimental moments, and does so without veering too distantly from her template.  The specter of Prince still looms large, and here he even guests on opening dirty-funk track, "Givin Em What They Love".  Tracks that follow continue in the funk genre with guests like Erykah Badu (the supreme "Q.U.E.E.N."), Solange (the title track), and Miguel (the Prince-ly ballad, "Primetime").  "We Were Rock and Roll" and "Dance Apocalyptic" flesh out Suite IV, with the former a pop-rock track and the latter a kooky retro-futuristic smash in the waiting.  The suite closes with the Bond-esque ballad, "Look Into My Eyes", which Shirley Bassey would have been proud to sing.  The track is kept at a minimal 2:18 in an effort to streamline the album so it does not drag, but this song certainly left this listener wanting even more.

Suite V (as with Suite III from the last record) is more varying with tempo and character, however this group of songs feels the most indebted to a singular artist:  Stevie Wonder.  Songs like "It's Code" and "Victory" have an ease and affability with their quietly melting chord progressions and instrumental parts, including more guitar solos from her supporting cast.  "Ghetto Woman" and "Can't Live Without Your Love" are pure-70's Stevie, while "Sally Ride" and "Dorothy Dandrige Eyes" add to themes of female empowerment and history simultaneously, and the optimistic "What An Experience" closes the album in what harkens back to songs like Janet Jackson's "Whoops Now", the hidden closing track at the end of her 1993 blockbuster, Janet.  We feel like we have come so far with the Cindi Mayweather story, and while we aren't sure if there will be more story or not (yes, please!), it is a time to stop and reflect on the happiness we have felt through her musical journey so far.

The other Janet-referencing additions to this album are the hysterical comic skits which take place at an urban radio station from the future.  Radio callers either support or criticize the android cause, questioning whether or not they can actually function or embody similar values as humans (It's all a bit Battlestar Galactica-Cylon-ey).  When a caller insists "Robot love is queer", and the DJ runs to defend androids, one cannot help drawing parallels to the gay community today and how they are becoming able to marry and have equal rights (in some cases) that straight people have had for centuries.  It's just one more deep and provocative angle on Monae's vision.  Her records may have yet to sell in stacks, but Monae is a unique and special talent deserving of our attention.  She really is an artist ahead of her time.