Yeah I realize everyone here is all growed up and they don’t bother with this *list* shit anymore. But I do. So here gos:
Personally, I thought this year was exceptional for new music, with great stuff jumping out the gate all the way back in February. A refreshing change from 2014, where my top 10 list felt *compromised*. Also of note: Bands/Artists whom’ve made my top 3 in previous years released albums that left me, well, underwhelmed.
Anyhoo, this is my tops, more or less in order:
Julia Holter - Have You in My Wilderness - *Newsflash*: Some weirdo cat-lady/art-chick-next-door makes Best Album of the Year. What to make of this majestic cocktail? Mix one part 1960s psychedelia, one part Joni Mitchell in her *Mingus* phase, a bit of Nyman-esque chamber pop, some free-associative lyricism, and what you get is this powerfully strange gem where the most surprising quality is just how accessible and appealing it is. (cuz normally I would hate this). However, this album works completely on every level. Best album of the year, in no small part for being so refreshingly different from everything else out there this year.
2)Battle of the faerie-pixie weirdo chicks: Grimes vs Braids
- yeah, we had to wait for Grimes to drop her album, and the verdict is:
Grimes "Art Angels" - Claire B. clearly obsessed and worked her ass off on this disk, and it shows. And it's a mess of insane tracks, of which "Kill Vs Maim" is a standout. It's also loaded up with large-venue performance-ready bangers, and so, imo, Grimes still retains her crown of Queen of the weirdo pixie-faerie chicks.
That being said, Montreal's Braids dropped "Into the Iris" way back in February, and, on last listen, it's still an opulent, gorgeous faerie-synthpop album, one I had on repeat for many months. Also, I saw them live at their record release party in a puny club in Mile End, Mtl here, and that was a real treat. (also, totally sold out crowd. fun).
3) Oh, and sorry Purity Ring, but "another eternity" was just outright fucking boring.
3) Battle of the (Black) chick EPs! : Kelela vs Nicole Moudaber/Skin vs Fka Twigs:
-Kelela "Hallucinogen" - basically taking everything that made her *mixtape* Cut4Me and refining and improving it. My only complaint is there's only 5 songs. 9/10.
- Nicole Moubaber/Skin - (collaborative ep) : Honestly, this is channeling dark 1990s trip hop (aka Massive Attack/Tricky) more than anything. Highly effective reptile-brain techno 8/10
- FKA Twigs (weird numerically named ep) - this one bugs me, as FKA Twigs LP1 was, by far, my fave album of 2014. So I'm not sure why this ep left me almost ambivalent. Whatevs, It's still listen-able, so 7/10
..............
Anyways, I continue with my tops list, later, as this actually involves a lot of work, and I need to go pee. So, To Be Continued.
Personally, I thought this year was exceptional for new music, with great stuff jumping out the gate all the way back in February. A refreshing change from 2014, where my top 10 list felt *compromised*. Also of note: Bands/Artists whom’ve made my top 3 in previous years released albums that left me, well, underwhelmed.
Anyhoo, this is my tops, more or less in order:
Julia Holter - Have You in My Wilderness - *Newsflash*: Some weirdo cat-lady/art-chick-next-door makes Best Album of the Year. What to make of this majestic cocktail? Mix one part 1960s psychedelia, one part Joni Mitchell in her *Mingus* phase, a bit of Nyman-esque chamber pop, some free-associative lyricism, and what you get is this powerfully strange gem where the most surprising quality is just how accessible and appealing it is. (cuz normally I would hate this). However, this album works completely on every level. Best album of the year, in no small part for being so refreshingly different from everything else out there this year.
2)Battle of the faerie-pixie weirdo chicks: Grimes vs Braids
- yeah, we had to wait for Grimes to drop her album, and the verdict is:
Grimes "Art Angels" - Claire B. clearly obsessed and worked her ass off on this disk, and it shows. And it's a mess of insane tracks, of which "Kill Vs Maim" is a standout. It's also loaded up with large-venue performance-ready bangers, and so, imo, Grimes still retains her crown of Queen of the weirdo pixie-faerie chicks.
That being said, Montreal's Braids dropped "Into the Iris" way back in February, and, on last listen, it's still an opulent, gorgeous faerie-synthpop album, one I had on repeat for many months. Also, I saw them live at their record release party in a puny club in Mile End, Mtl here, and that was a real treat. (also, totally sold out crowd. fun).
3) Oh, and sorry Purity Ring, but "another eternity" was just outright fucking boring.
3) Battle of the (Black) chick EPs! : Kelela vs Nicole Moudaber/Skin vs Fka Twigs:
-Kelela "Hallucinogen" - basically taking everything that made her *mixtape* Cut4Me and refining and improving it. My only complaint is there's only 5 songs. 9/10.
- Nicole Moubaber/Skin - (collaborative ep) : Honestly, this is channeling dark 1990s trip hop (aka Massive Attack/Tricky) more than anything. Highly effective reptile-brain techno 8/10
- FKA Twigs (weird numerically named ep) - this one bugs me, as FKA Twigs LP1 was, by far, my fave album of 2014. So I'm not sure why this ep left me almost ambivalent. Whatevs, It's still listen-able, so 7/10
..............
Anyways, I continue with my tops list, later, as this actually involves a lot of work, and I need to go pee. So, To Be Continued.
