Hey, here are my 154 favourite albums of 2014. As usual, I haven’t aimed for a fixed number; just listed everything, in a loose order, that I’ve enjoyed these past 12 months.
I’m aware that some of you will find a list of 154 good albums improbable/unmanageable – ie that I couldn’t possibly give unequivocal support to everything here. Which is fair enough. Nevertheless, I think they’re all worth a few listens, including some releases that maybe won’t get recognised in many other end-of-year charts. If I’d stopped at 100, for instance, I’d have had to leave out things like the Pye Corner Audio/Not Waving split and the Kassé Mady Diabaté albums, as well as a bunch of more mainstream records that, while not stuff I specialise in, I think deserve a nod in a more esoteric selection like this one. Please note, too, I’ve added links to a load of reviews of specific albums.
If nothing else, this sheer weight of records that I’ve liked is my annual attempt to prove that there’s no such thing as a bad year for music, if you’ve the time to go hunting. I do have that time, of course, and I’m very grateful to have a job that lets me get away with this, and an audience who indulges me. Thanks for your support over the year and, once again, please share your own lists, questions and comments below and at uncut_feedback@timeinc.com. There’s always time to discover more – I’m sure I’ve missed out a few things here that you’ll point out to me…
Follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JohnRMulvey
154 Suarasama – Timeline (Space)
153 Ariel Pink – Pom Pom (4AD)
152 Luluc – Passerby (Sub Pop)
151 Jozef Van Wissem – It Is Time For You To Return (Made To Measure/Crammed Discs)
150 Loudon Wainwright III – Haven’t Got The Blues (Yet) (Proper)
149 Metronomy – Love Letters (Because)
148 Alexander Turnquist – Wildflower (Western Vinyl)
147 Mark McGuire – Along The Way (Dead Oceans)
146 Gareth Dickson – Invisible String (Unwork)
145 Woo – When The Past Arrives (Drag City)
144 Drive-By Truckers – English Oceans (ATO)
Read Uncut’s review of the Drive-By Truckers’ “English Oceans” here…
143 Perfume Genius – Too Bright (Caroline)
142 Simian Mobile Disco – Whorl (Anti-)
141 Sam Amidon – Lily-O (Nonesuch)
140 FKA Twigs – LP1 (XL)
139 Tarwater – Adrift (Bureau B)
138 Neil Young – Storytone (Acoustic) (Reprise)
137 Gruff Rhys – American Interior (Turnstile)
136 Mirage – Blood For The Return (Olde English Spelling Bee/Weird World)
135 Mike & Cara Gangloff – Black Ribbon Of Death, Silver Thread Of Life (MIE Music)
134 Lawrence English – Wilderness Of Mirrors (Room40)
133 Joan Shelley – Electric Ursa (No Quarter)
132 Jungle- Jungle (XL)
131 The Hold Steady – Teeth Dreams (Washington Square)
Read Uncut’s review of The Hold Steady’s “Teeth Dreams” here…
130 Flying Lotus – You’re Dead (Warp)
129 Vashti Bunyan – Heartleap (FatCat)
Read Uncut’s review of Vashti Bunyan’s “Heartleap” here…
128 James Blackshaw – Fantômas (Tompkins Square)
127 Elisa Ambrogio – The Immoralist (Drag City)
126 The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream (Secretly Canadian)
125 Rag Lore – Misr Environs: Cairo Road Recordings And Other Half Truths (Cabin Floor Esoterica)
124 Bryan Ferry – Avonmore (BMG)
123 Einsturzende Neubauten – Lament (BMG/Mute)
122 Tashi Dorji – Tashi Dorji (Hermit Hut)
121 Richard Reed Parry – Music For Heart And Breath (Deutsche Grammofon)
120 You Are Wolf – Hawk To The Hunting Gone (Stone Tape)
119 Terry Waldo – The Soul Of Ragtime (Tompkins Square)
118 Tricky – Adrian Thaws (False Idols)
117 AC/DC – Play Ball (Columbia)
116 Luke Abbott – Wysing Forest (Border Community)
115 East India Youth – Total Strife Forever (Stolen)
114 Grandma Sparrow – Grandma Sparrow & his Piddletractor Orchestra (Spacebomb)
113 New Bums – Voices In A Rented Room (Drag City)
112 Kevin Morby – Still Life (Woodsist)
111 The Men – Tomorrow’s Hits (Sacred Bones)
110 Julian Casablancas + The Voidz – Tyranny (Cult)
109 Goat – Commune (Rocket)
Read Uncut’s review of Goat’s “Commune” here…
108 Kelis – Food (Ninjatune)
107 J Mascis – Tied To A Star (Sub Pop)
106 Sharon Van Etten – Are We There (Jagjaguwar)
Read Uncut’s review of Sharon Van Etten’s “Are We There” here…
105 Kasai Allstars – Beware The Fetish (Crammed Discs)
104 Doug Paisley – Strong Feelings (No Quarter)
103 Bishop Nehru/DOOM – Nehruviandoom (Sound Of The Son) (Lex)
102 Pye Corner Audio/Not Waving – Intercepts (Ecstatic)
101 Kassé Mady Diabaté – Kiriké (No Format!)
100 Avi Buffalo – At Best Cuckold (Sub Pop)
99 Lubomyr Melnyk – Evertina (Erased Tapes)
98 Afghan Whigs – Do To The Beast (Sub Pop)
Read Uncut’s review of Afghan Whigs’ “Do To The Beast” here…
97 MV & EE – Alpha Lyrae (Child Of Microtones)
96 Martin Duffy – Assorted Promenades (O Genesis)
95 Arca – Xen (Mute)
94 Dylan Shearer – Garagearray (Castleface/Empty Cellar)
93 Spider Bags – Frozen Letter (Merge)
92 Robert Plant – Lulllaby… And The Ceaseless Roar (Nonesuch)
Read Uncut’s review of Robert Plant’s “Lullaby And The Ceaseless Roar” here…
91 The Allah-Las – Worship The Sun (Innovative Leisure)
Read Uncut’s review of Allah-Las’ “Worship The Sun” here…
90 Mark Kozelek – Sings Christmas Carols (Caldo Verde)
89 Howlin Rain – Live Rain (Agitated)
88 Crying Lion – The Golden Boat (Honest Jon’s)
87 Wand – Ganglion Reef (God/Drag City)
86 Olga Bell – Krai (One Little Indian)
85 Black Bananas – Electric Brick Wall (Drag City)
84 Mark Lanegan Band – Phantom Radio (Heavenly)
Read Uncut’s review of Mark Lanegan’s “Phantom Radio” here…
83 A Winged Victory For The Sullen – Atomos (Erased Tapes)
82 Mogwai – Rave Tapes (Rock Action)
81 King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – I’m In Your Mind Fuzz (Heavenly/Castle Face)
Read my review of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard here…
80 Weyes Blood – The Innocents (Mexican Summer)
79 Chris Robinson Brotherhood – Phosphorescent Harvest (Silver Arrow)
78 Metabolismus – Sus (Amish)
77 Dream Police – Hypnotized (Sacred Bones)
76 Morgan Delt – Morgan Delt (Trouble In Mind)
75 Todd Terje – It’s Album Time (Olsen)
74 Watter – This World (Temporary Residence)
73 Håkon Stene – Lush Laments for Lazy Mammal (Hubro)
72 Chris Thile & Edgar Meyer – Bass & Mandolin (Nonesuch)
71 Robert Stillman – Leap Of Death (Archaic Future)
70 Plaid – Reachy Prints (Warp)
69 Mary Lattimore & Jeff Zeigler – Slant Of Light (Thrill Jockey)
68 Blonde Redhead – Barragán (Kobalt)
67 Reigning Sound – Shattered (Merge)
Read Uncut’s review of Reigning Sound’s “Shattered” here…
66 Plastikman – Ex (Mute)
65 Damon Albarn – Everyday Robots (Parlophone)
64 M. Geddes Gengras – Collected Works Vol. 2: New Process Music (Umor Rex)
63 Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels 2 (Mass Appeal)
62 Richard Thompson – Acoustic Classics (Proper)
Read my piece about Richard Thompson here…
61 Oren Ambarchi – Quixotism (Editions Mego)
60 Meatbodies – Meatbodies (In The Red)
Read my review of Meatbodies here…
59 Caribou -Our Love (City Slang)
58 Ex-Hex – Rips (Merge)
57 Bill Callahan – Have Fun With God (Drag City)
Read my review of Bill Callahan’s “Have Fun With God” here…
Read my review of Bill Callahan live here…
56 David Kilgour & The Heavy Eights – End Times Undone (Merge)
55 Ty Segall – Manipulator (Drag City)
Read my review of Ty Segall’s “Manipulator” here…
54 Neil Young – A Letter Home (Third Man/Reprise)
Read my review of Neil Young’s “A Letter Home” here…
53 Linda Perhacs – The Soul Of All Natural Things (Asthmatic Kitty)
Read my review of Linda Perhacs live here…
52 Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Singer’s Grave A Sea Of Tongues (Domino)
51 Shellac – Dude Incredible (Touch & Go)
50 Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire For No Witness (Jagjaguwar)
49 Khun Narin Electric Phin Band – Khun Narin Electric Phin Band (Innovative Leisure)
48 Cool Ghouls – A Swirling Fire Burning Through The Rye (Empty Cellar)
Read my review of Cool Ghouls here…
47 Wooden Wand – Farmer’s Corner (Fire)
46 D Charles Speer & The Helix – Doubled Exposure (Thrill Jockey)
45 Wolfgang Voigt – Rückverzauberung 9/Musik für Kulturinstitutionen (Kompakt)
44 Steve Gunn & Mike Cooper – FRKWYS VOL 11: Cantos De Lisboa (RVNG INTL)
Read my piece about Mike Cooper here…
43 White Fence – For The Recently Found Innocent (Drag City)
42 Noura Mint Seymali – Tzenni (Glitterbeat)
41 Jesse Sparhawk & Eric Carbonara – Tributes & Diatribes (VHF)
40 Woods – With Light And With Love (Woodsist)
39 Loscil – Sea Island (Kranky)
38 Girma Yifrashewa – Love And Peace (Unseen Worlds)
37 Bing & Ruth – Tomorrow Was The Golden Age (RVNG INTL)
36 Hans Chew – Life And Love (At The Helm)
35 Jennifer Castle – Pink City (No Quarter)
34 Rhyton – Kykeon (Thrill Jockey)
33 Tinariwen – Emmaar (PIAS)
32 Purling Hiss – Weirdon (Drag City)
31 Leonard Cohen – Popular Problems (Columbia)
Read Uncut’s review of leonard Cohen’s “Popular Problems” here…
30 OOIOO – Gamel (Thrill Jockey)
29 Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks – Wig Out At Jagbags (Domino)
28 Tweedy – Sukierae (dBpm)
Read Uncut’s review of Tweedy’s “Sukirae” here…
27 Black Dirt Oak – Wawayanda Patient (MIE Music)
Read my review of Black Dirt Oak here…
26 Dylan Howe – Subterranean: New Designs On Bowie’s Berlin (Motorik)
25 Thee Oh Sees – Drop (Castleface)
Read Uncut’s review of Thee Oh Sees’ “Drop” here…
24 Liam Hayes & Plush – Korp Sole Roller (Bandcamp)
Read my piece about Liam Hayes and Plush here…
23 Thurston Moore – The Best Day (Matador)
Read Uncut’s piece about Thurston Moore live here…
22 Pye Corner Audio – Black Mill Tapes 3&4 (Type)
Read my review of Pye Corner Audio here…
21 Jack White – Lazaretto (Third Man/XL)
Read my piece about Jack White here…
20 Ryley Walker – All Kinds Of You (Tompkins Square)
Read my piece about Ryley Walker here…
19 Alice Gerrard – Follow The Music (Tompkins Square)
Read my review of Alice Gerrard’s “Follow The Music” here…
18 Thom Yorke – Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes (Bittorrent!)
Read my review of ” Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes” here…
17 Africa Express Presents… – Terry Riley’s In C (Transgressive)
16 Nathan Bowles – Nansemond (Paradise Of Bachelors)
Read my review of Nathan Bowles’ “Nansemond” here…
15 The Aphex Twin – Syro (Warp)
14 Earth – Primitive And Deadly (Southern Lord)
13 Xylouris White – Goats (Other Music)
12 Bohren & Der Club Of Gore – Piano Nights (PIAS)
Read my review of Bohren & Der Club Of Gore here…
11 Real Estate – Atlas (Domino)
Read my review of Real Estate’s “Atlas” here…
10 Toumani Diabaté & Sidiki Diabaté – Toumani & Sidiki (World Circuit)
9 Lee Bains III & The Glory Fires – Dereconstructed (Sub Pop)
Read my review of Lee Bains III here…
8 Fennesz – Bécs (Editions Mego)
7 Frazey Ford – Indian Ocean (Nettwerk)
Read my review of Frazey Ford’s “Indian Ocean” here…
6 Steve Gunn – Way Out Weather (Paradise Of Bachelors)
Read my review of Steve Gunn’s “Way Out Weather” here…
5 Chris Forysth & The Solar Motel Band – Intensity Ghost (No Quarter)
Read my piece about Chris Forsyth here…
4 Bitchin’ Bajas – Bitchin’ Bajas (Drag City)
3 Sun Kil Moon – Benji (Caldo Verde)
Read my review of Sun Kil Moon’s “Benji” here…
2 Hurray For The Riff-Raff – Small Town Heroes (ATO)
Read my review of Hurray For The Riff Raff’s “Small Town Heroes” here…
Read my interview with Hurray For The Riff Raff here…
1 Hiss Golden Messenger – Lateness Of Dancers (Merge)
Read my interview with Hiss Golden Messenger here…