Wolf alice

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.

So much good here this time out, after missing a playlist last week for various reasons. Where to start?

The Hold Steady and Trans will join Courtney Barnett, Arc Iris, Syd Arthur, The Rails, Alice Boman, PHOX and Ethan Johns on the Uncut stage at this year's Great Escape festival in Brighton. Meanwhile, the festival, which takes place at 35 venues in Brighton between May 8-10, have also confirmed details of another 100 artists who will be performing.

All new arrivals this week, I think, though of course one or two of these albums have been round the block a few times one way or another.

See the full line-up on Uncut

Modest Mouse, Yo La Tengo and Wilco headline the July festival

Three days of mixed magic and Madness in leafy Surrey, from Thea Gilmore, Love, Cosmic Rough Riders, Alice Cooper, Jesse Malin, a befezzed marching band and more...