Totally Unauthorized: 2014 Album of the Year Awards

There are several reasons why 2014 was not the greatest year in music or media. First off, Robin Williams died. Rest in peace to one of comedy's all time greats. Secondly, a metric ton of my favorite electro-pop bands either split up or went into extended hiatus. Nicolas Jarr's ambient guitar synth project Darkside fired the first shot by releasing an ambiguously worded statement that they were disbanding but left open the possibility to a future reunion. Electro-freaks The Knife called it quits, Alice Glass left the future of Crystal Castles in doubt by declaring her departure from the group, and all-time greats Orbital decided to hang up for the second (and presumably last) time. In the span of a few months, four of my favorite groups in the genre were no more.

Secondly, it just wasn't as good a year for music than what we've become accustomed to. When you think about it, who really had a big year? I suppose you could nominate War on Drugs. Lost in the Dream catapulted them from being random Pitchfork Best New Music act to 80s rock and roll enthusiasts' wet dream, but would their rise to stardom be as recognizable to the random joe on the street as that of Yeezus? Or Vampy Weekend? Or half a dozen others from the last few years? When the tale of these years are penned, they're liable to be best remembered for a six minute folk diss track than anything else. Sun Kil Moon's Mark Kozalek had possibly his biggest moment yet, then managed to squander almost all his goodwill overnight with his stirring rendition of "War on Drugs: Suck My Cock." Foos were a good candidate for awhile. Their Sonic Highways HBO series gave a thought provoking look into the musical legends behind eight U.S. cities, and their ticket controversy at Ryman Auditorium on Halloween night attracted just enough any press is good press controversy to bolster their status as a major story, but then the album actually dropped and everybody realized: oh wait, it's yet another fucking Foo Fighters album. Swans already had their moment with The Seer. Aphex Twin, observing the success of comeback attempts by Neutral Milk Hotel, Nine Inch Nails, Outkast, and tons of others, decided to step out of the limelight himself but forgot that it doesn't really work the same way without the live act.

So here we are, at the end of another year, and I guess it could have been worse. If nothing else, this may stand as the year to reaffirm our faith in guitar based rock music. Cloud Nothings, Swans, St. Vincent, Ty Segall, Rodrigo y Gabriela, The War on Drugs, Spoon, Jack White, and Tom Petty all put out excellent albums, not to mention the fact that metal had a banner year. Electronic music had a slow start but recovered in the second half with strong releases from Caribou, Aphex Twin, and Iamamiwhoami. Rap, as mentioned before, decided to take the year off.

So if I don't seem that enthusiastic about this year, well, just think that with all the technological advancements we have now, coupled with all the musical breakthroughs of the past 60 or 70 so years, I know we can do better. And we will. But for now, let's get this out of the way so we can move on to the (hopefully) far superior 2015.

 

10. Badbadnotgood - III

 

One of the most intriguing occurrences of the year was Badbadnogood's transformation into an electro-jazz outfit. They shed some of their hip hop stylings but the atmosphere has never been better. It's like wandering around a darkened warehouse at night, but it's a mystical and awesome experience. Not to mention that each band member here -- even the bassist -- gets their moment in the spotlight with an array of dazzling solos, proving just how deep the talent runs in this outfit. These guys are bold, young, and know they're going somewhere -- and they make music that sounds like it.

9. Swans - To Be Kind

It's not that I didn't think anyone would ever make an album like this, it's that Swans make music in ways that never would have occurred to me in the first place. The first disc is an imposing slab of dark art rock, while the second disc sounds like a crazy priest chanting while the earth is being sucked away into a vortex. Admittedly, I like their more straightforward (at least for their standards) rock more so than the 15+ minute post rock nightmares, but Swans are who they are and no one can take their place.

8. Thee Silver Mt. Zion - Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light on Everything 

Efrim Menuck has a way of talking about things that will stone cold sober you. This side project fronted by Menuck, of Godspeed You Black Emperor fame, touches on powerful themes including dealing with the bleak reality of everyday life, trying to pass on a better world to your children, and realizing that no matter how much love you put out in the world you can never put out enough. Sometimes it's a tough listen with walls of wavy guitars, Menuck's acquired taste vocals, and various elements that stack up and sometimes crash into one another, but there are other times where the post-rock/punk inspired ethos comes together with the backing choir to create sheer beauty. Conceptually, it's one of the most beautiful albums I've heard.

7. Behemoth - The Satanist

The complaint may be that there's not much new in metal, and blackened death certainly isn't either. But what makes The Satainst is all the little touches Nergal puts into it. He's not the first to have to bone to pick with the Almighty, but Nergal insists on elevating his dissent to the realm of high poetry. The amount of passion he put into this is staggering. There's abundance of biblical, Latin, and ancient Roman imagery that gives the album an atmospheric, silver screen type of feel, while the horns, backing choirs, and epic, weighty guitar solos will compel you to raise your hand like a Roman emperor in the coliseum over a downed gladiator. Do you point thumbs up or down?

6. Rodrigo y Gabriela - 9 Dead Alive

9 Dead Alive marks a key turning point for this Mexican acoustic guitar duo. Once known for their white hot metal inspired guitar leads, however, this one is much more of a thinking man's album. Each song is dedicated to a luminary who fought to improve the human condition, or who has pushed the envelope with their creative endeavors. There are sounds of sorrow and of triumph, dedicated to finding our place in the world and meaning in our lives. It appears that their fans didn't follow them in their new direction as this is the least buzzed about album yet, but what they do put forth here is contemplative music to calm the soul, and I find great value in that.

5. St. Vincent - St. Vincent

The tagline everyone floated with this album focused on how bizarre and eccentric it is on the surface, but in truth it is actually a very confessional and interpersonal record for Ms. Clark. She proves she can kick ass and write a killer guitar lick, and crafts one of the most intoxicating albums of the year thanks to her rose tinted guitar and synth crunch. But she also reveals herself to be very sensual and full of longing and desire. Which of her revelations are the most confessional in nature? That she prefers her mother's love to Jesus? That she begins her day with taking out the trash and beating off? Or is it this line: I'm afraid of heaven because I can't stand the heights/I'm afraid of you because I can't be left behind."

The mainstream publications may have focused on her zany image, but this album, maybe more so than any album this year, is a triumph of allowing us to see its creator as human and vulnerable.

4. First Aid Kit - Stay Gold

Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara Soderberg have crafted their finest work yet. It's chock full of themes that will appeal to youth, including insecurities about the future, realizing the transience of people, places and situations when you're young, and figuring out who you are. There are themes of traveling or moving on from certain things in life, which calls to mind Dylan in a way. Even if you aren't a youngster, the breezy melodies, brilliantly arranged harmonies and that retro 70s folk/country vibe are so easy to get swept up in.

3. Caribou - Our Love

The electronic production here is better than any album I've heard this year, and can hold its own with anything this decade. A deep, dense, swirling world composed of IDM beats and hazy psychedelia rise up to engulf the listener from the moment the needle hits vinyl. Dan Snaith's tender croon paints images of love and love lost, but he never dives full bore into the subject lyrically. Instead, he allows his stunning dreamscapes to transpose the message he wants into the listeners' mind. This album that will penetrate every little pore if you let it.

2. Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else

This album is great for anyone who's ever felt uncertain about life, which is a feeling I think many of us can relate to. It presents a pulsating, driving hard rock sound accented with fist pumping choruses and guitar leads reminiscent of 90s punk. Meanwhile, Dylan Baldi pours out his frustrations and anxieties pour out in full force. It may not help you chart your course for life, but it will provide a hell of a soundtrack for doing so.

1. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2

One of the biggest areas in which music this year lacked was that there wasn't anything with much of a message. War on Drugs might have wowed listeners with waves of reverb, and Swans sure as hell developed some intense experimental soundscapes, but when you boil it all down it's all just music, and nothing more. Run the Jewels 2 was one of the few notable albums this year that actually attempted to say something relevant to its time. Now, I'm not going to try to tell you this is The Times They Are A-Changin' or anything, but a hell of a lot happened in 2014 that didn't involve our headphones and this sums it up as well as anything else. "Early" presented a depiction of police violence and a summation of our society's response to it. In a year in which violent protest dominated our headlines, it's enough to rank Run the Jewels 2 among the year's most socially conscious records.

Of course, the album is great for many reasons other than that. Emcees Killer Mike and El-P talk about some very real themes but don't shove it down your throat. They mix great production with mostly intense hardcore lyrics and then slip the themes in here and there. It's very intense in every sense of the word, from the beats and overall sound of the album all the way down the to lyrics and presentation. They laid down basically what they wanted to do with RTJ1, but this one fixed all of its problems. The beats are better, they cut the shit, cut out all the weak watered down hooks, and tightened everything up.

Totally Unauthorized's Most Anticipated Albums of 2014

It's been a great decade for music thus far, and 2014 seems like a year that could top all of them. No joke. Kendrick Lamar, Fleet Foxes, Agalloch, Frank Ocean, and Adele are all at least somewhat likely for sometime later in the year. Meanwhile, British stalwarts Radiohead and Blur have been working on new material, but it is not known yet whether those works will be pushed into 2015. Here are some of the can't miss releases of 2014:


Beck -  Morning Phase
TBA February

How can you not love Beck? The super versatile musician and songwriter responsible for classic tunes like "Loser" and "E-Pro" hasn't had much to cheer about in several years, but Morning Phase is looking like it will be among the early contenders for album of the year. The album will apparently cull from a collage of classic 60s and 70s artists; Beck tells David Fricke of Rolling Stone that he drew inspiration from The Byrds, Crosby Stills & Nash, and Gram Parsons among others.

St. Vincent - s/t
February 25

Whenever St. Vincent puts out an album, you can rest assured that it will be just plain fun. There are already a pair of singles out. The first, "Birth in Reverse," is a fun and bouncy number that sounds like new wave updated for a 2014 audience, with a bit of a very intentional mechanized feel. "Digital Witness," meanwhile, has a similar vibe but manages to pack in her trademark horns into the fabric. It gives the image of an album with pretty heavy production, but still with enough charm and life to fit it into the themes she's developed over her career.

Tune Yards - TBA

Merril Garbus of Tune Yards released one of the most eclectic and aurally stimulating albums in 2011's w h o k i l l, blending all sorts of world music influences with a rough, homespun, do it yourself type of vibe. But most of all it was the overpowering bass and tribal drums that underpinned the tracks more than anything. Garbus revealed a tentative title for the album, Sink-O, back in July but not many details have emerged since then. It is known, however, that she spent time in Haiti learning more about African tribal rhythms.

Cloud Nothings - TBA

Cloud Nothings made one of the most intelligent fusions of punk, indie, and post-punk with their 2012 album Attack on Memory, but don't think that the Cleveland rockers are content to sit on their laurels for the followup. Frontman Dylan Baldi claims the new album will be nosier and much less melodic, meaning that the guys will be free to work their chaotic brilliance in all new ways.

Rodrigo y Gabriella - TBA
TBA April

The Latin acoustic guitar playing duo released their last album, Area 52, in 2012, but their newest release will be their first proper studio album since 2009's 11:11. All that's been released so far is a brief clip of a new song, as well as a release date -- April 2014 -- on the band's website. But if their past material is any indicator, the new album will be another captivating piece of heavy rhythm and breathtaking lead work.

Modest Mouse - TBA

All I can say is that it's been far too long since Modest Mouse put out a full length studio album. It's been seven years since We Were All Dead Before the Ship Sank, and going on 15 years since their magnum opus The Moon & Antarctica. However, as recent history has shown, a long layoff can often enable a band to come back with a fresh approach. They cancelled a run of European dates last summer to work on the new album, which is set to include a guest appearance from former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic.

Grimes - TBA

Canadian electronic synthpop artist Claire Boucher, better known as Grimes, is one of the more overlooked personalities out there. Her excellent tumblr reveals a silly and fun loving personality, and this is one of the qualities that made Visions such a gem. Boucher said in April that she was influenced by Enya and Paramore while recording the new album, and wants it to have a Nine Inch Nails level recording quality, which will be much easier with the resources she'll have after her signing with Jay Z's Roc Nation label.

Badbadnotgood - BBNG3

If you're looking for jazz music that thinks outside the box, Badbadnotgood will be your jam for 2014. This trio of early 20s musicians is well known for infusing their deep, and introspective compositions with a hip hop nature. They've worked Tyler, the Creator, Frank Ocean, and Earl Sweatshirt of Odd Future Fame, while reinterpreting material from artists as diverse as James Blake and Wacka Flacka Flame. They released a new tune, "Hedron," last summer, but it is unknown whether it will be on the final album.

Run the Jewels - TBA

Atlanta hip-hop artist Killer Mike and New York based producer/rapper El-P gave us one of the most exciting rap collaborations last year with their self titled Run the Jewels album, and fortunately the duo isn't making us wait long for more material. Killer Mike didn't give a release date but did disclose that recording was taking place in December and January. If it's anything like its predecessor, you can expect forceful and combative hip hop that never messes around and gets straight to the point.

Totally Unauthorized 2012 2nd Quarter Report: April - June

If the first three months of the year were filled with great tracks, then the last three have built on that promise and have set up 2012 to be one of the greatest music years in recent history. The second installment in my rundown of the year's best tracks features a little something for everyone. Here are my 15 favorite tracks from the spring and summer months:

Lotus Plaza - Black Buzz

Lockett Pundt, better known as the guitarist from Deerhunter, gave us another look at his dream like playing style on his sophomore solo album, Spooky Action at a Distance. "Black Buzz" offers smoky, Lee Hazlewood inspired guitar work, while Pundt focuses on his personal battle with drug addiction. This is the theme to a spaghetti western where the good guys don't ride off into the sunset.

Orbital - Distractions

It's been a long wait, but British rave masters Orbital are at the top of their game. "Distractions" is the deepest track from their new album, Wonky. There's a groovy dub feel to it, along with space age sound effects, a headbanging breakdown, and a layer that sounds like a hypnotic undersea dance party. What's not to like?

BadBadnotGood - Rotten Decay

The prodigies from Badbadnotgood may specialize in jazz, but collaborations with the likes of Tyler, the Creator shows hip hop culture runs deep in their veins. Pianist Matthew A. Tavares steals the show with dark and brooding chords that could be the beat for a downbeat hip hop track. Drummer Alexander Sowinksi's fills are furious and frenetic, and greatly complement the beautiful but bummed out atmosphere.

Of Monsters and Men - King and Lionheart

Icelandic pop folksters Of Monsters and Men had a heady 2011, and the worldwide release of "My Head is an Animal" sees them getting in touch with their earthy side. "King and Lionheart" tells the story of a king's servant who faces haunted oceans and mythical beasts, but swears to serve to the end. Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir's majestic vocal sets the tone, while Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson chimes in with perfectly timed cymbal clashes.

Jack White - Trash Tongue Talker

Jack White's Blunderbuss painted a electrifying tapestry of the American music history, and "Trash Tongue Talker" sees him spew the blues like none other. White spits acid at a former ladyfriend, while static guitars crackle and buzz in a Little Richard inspired rage. If you need a soundtrack for kicking your good for nothing lover to the curb, here it is.

 

Off! - Wiped Out

Keith Morris, of Black Flag and Circle Jerks fame, entered our consciousness with the Off's First Four EPs. Now he returns with his new band's first full LP, and it's even fuzzier and angrier than before. The lead single, "Wiped Out," is the perfect anthem for stage diving, beer spilling, and wrecking everything in your living room.

Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion

This collaboration between two of the finest minds in progressive rock was long anticipated, and the title track was no disappointment. The Storm Corrosion album attempted to cover a good bit of ground, but the title song brought those disparate elements together better than any other. Beautiful, haunting melodies, somber acoustic guitar, and even a bit avant garde/drone influences make "Storm Corrosion" one of the most unique tracks this year.

Beach House - Myth

Few artists can create a world as deep and expansive as Beach House. From the moment the hypnotic opening guitar strains kick in, you can tell the dream pop pioneers have crafted a sound you can get lost in. The expressiveness of singer Victoria Legrand will carry you to sheer bliss. By the time Alex Scally begins his tremolo strumming near the end, you'll realize you've entered a realm you won't want to depart.

Clubroot - Left Hand Path

If you dug Burial's Kindred EP from earlier this year, there's more where that came from. UK dubstep producer Dan Richmond is also known for creating work that cries out from the darkness, but he distinguishes himself from William Bevan's project in a number of ways. His minimalist approach helps the airy, spacious keyboards set the tone. That is, of course, until the hypnotic bassline comes in and puts a spell on you.

Mount Eerie - Through the Trees, Pt. 2

Phil Elverum may be an above average musician, but he truly shines in his ability to set a mood. Clear Moon gives off a vibe of driving through a forest at night while your headlights wash over all the trees. His melancholic guitar strumming and nondescript voice paints a somber picture of what it's like to exist in solitude.

Oddisee & Oliver Daysoul - You Know Who You Are (Acoustic)

Music sometimes suffers from being too bogged down by studio effects. The acoustic version of "You Know Who You Are" shows a pair of DC emcees demonstrating what hip hop can do when it has room to breathe. Oddisee's voice never wavers as he recalls people who molded him into what he is today, while Oliver Daysoul's soul inspired hook drives home the veracity of his message.

Iamamiwhoami - Goods

Swedish electro/pop starlet Jonna Lee is one strange lady. "Goods" may be the final track on her delightfully bizarre debut "Kin," but Lee sounds like she's ready to keep dancing until 3012. Her infectious melodies combine with futuristic synths and out of this world production values to forge one of the most unique and unforgettable tracks this year.

The Tallest Man on Earth - 1904

Kristian Matsson may to sticking to what he knows, but why alter the formula when you're this good at what you do?  The urgency in his voice and the crispness of his guitar couples with the brilliance of the melodies to craft a show winning tune about how everything changes and nothing stays the same.

Fiona Apple - Left Alone

How would this list be complete without a look at the indomitable Fiona Apple? Even when spitting venom and vile she's breathtaking. "Left Alone" features a minute long drum intro, a foreboding shuffling piano melody, and a voice that's all over the place while always seeming to be in the right places. This about more than music, this vantage point into a message that is intensely personal and deliriously demented. Do you dare look away?

DIIV - Doused

Zachary Cole Smith of Beach Fossils has successfully created a song that combines post rock, post punk, and dreamy indie rock, while also having aquatic influences. Smith's voice comes at you from out of a haze, while the spaced out instrumental second half is as fresh as a salty ocean wave splashing against your face.