[Tony1110]

Nice list. I've been tracking all of the albums I've listened to this year in a similar way, and see a lot of overlap between what you've enjoyed this year and what I've enjoyed. Some things on your list that I knew existed and have just completely spaced on listening to, like Murmur, Dead Congregation, Tobacco, and CunninLynguists; so thanks for the reminder! And a few more items I've listened to only once and really, really need to listen to some more. Looking forward to seeing what your final list will look like. I'll probably be doing a similar write-up (though nowhere near as comprehensive, and I tend to mush EPs and LPs together--and I will almost certainly be counting L'Amour as a 'new' 2014 album for the purposes of my list) when the end of the year approaches. Usually a thread pops up for year-end lists somewhere on Head-Fi. Hope you post there, too.Wondering about a few exclusions from your list--maybe you haven't heard them or did hear them and didn't much care for them (or I just plain overlooked them), but I think they're worth checking out if you haven't, and worth checking out in general for anyone else reading this thread:

Spoiler: Warning: Sort of a long list!

Keir Neuringer: Ceremonies Out of the Air
Wold: Postsocial
Nasheim: Solens Vemod
Jucara Marcal: Encarnado
Idylls: Prayer for Terrene
Sunn O))) & Ulver: Terrestrials
Aphex Twin: Caustic Window
Have a Nice Life: The Unnatural World
Botanist: Flora
Spoon: They Want My Soul
Timber Timbre: Hot Dreams
Earth: Primitive and Deadly
Saor: Aura
Tune-Yards: Nikki Nack
Indian: From All Purity
Gridlink: Longhena
Pallbearer: Foundations of Burden
Thou: Heathen
Sun Kil Moon: Benji
The War on Drugs: Lost in the Dream
Triptykon: Melana Chasmata
Musk Ox: Woodfall
Fire! Orchestra: Enter

Keep up the good work--love your posts and I like seeing the focus on this site occasionally switching back to music. :-D

L'Amour is excellent but too many of the reviews are concentrating on the back story rather than the music itself. I'm going to download the Hundred Waters album now.

 

[MuppetFace]

  Wondering about a few exclusions from your list--maybe you haven't heard them or did hear them and didn't much care for them (or I just plain overlooked them), but I think they're worth checking out if you haven't

 
 
Thanks, I'll have to check some of those out at some point. Didn't know Botanist had a new album out this year; nice tip! I've posted about his music before in my older diary thread.
 
I actually omitted some of those (Earth, Pallbearer, Thou, Wold, Indian) because I'm going to be talking about them in upcoming entries.
 
Tune-Yards, Idylls, and Spoon didn't really do much for me though, personally. But thanks for posting your list and giving people the chance to decide for themselves. I actually left off a number of albums I liked but found kinda forgettable from artists like: Sylvan Esso, Sohn, Duck Sauce, Ab-Soul, Common, Amen Dunes, etc.

 

[Carlsan]

I did like the new Spoon album.
 
Off of the list, I really like the Swans album, and the Sharon Van Etten.
Will have to re-listen to the Hundred Waters, had it but don't remember it now.
Not much into hip hop or death metal, but looking forward to exploring some of the others.
Cheers.
 
BTW, saw the Swans opening up for the Birthday Party back in the beginning of the eighties, one of the best live shows I have ever attended.
Glad they are still making excellent music.

 

[339305]

In the process of saving as many artists/albums on my Spotify account as possible, will listen and try to further support the artists I especially enjoy. Thank you for taking what I imagine was an enormous amount of time and a monumental expenditure of effort into compiling this list and also providing some interesting context to your own listening habits.

 

[purpledrank]

Those hip hop recommendations were way too underground for me. I'll go as "deep" as Tyler the Creator but thats where it stops.

 

[nehcrow]

Top 30 albums of all time, I'm sure everyone would be interested in that

 

[MuppetFace]

  Those hip hop recommendations were way too underground for me. I'll go as "deep" as Tyler the Creator but thats where it stops.

 
Did you try everything? I posted stuff I find a lot more accessible than anything by Odd Future, personally.
 
Open Mike Eagle
Isaiah Rashad
Skyzoo & Torae
Atmosphere
Statik Selektah
Cormega
Mac Miller (who collaborated w/ Tyler the Creator and Earl Sweatshirt)
Sage Francis
Dilated Peoples
The Roots (who are pretty mainstream)

 

[MuppetFace]

L'Amour is excellent but too many of the reviews are concentrating on the back story rather than the music itself.

 
That's a shame, though I can understand why the backstory plays such a huge role in reviews for music by Lewis. He's just so mysterious, and these albums are nearly inseparable from the mythic status build up around them.
 
I'll be discussing his second album, Romantic Times, in a coming blog post. I'll try to balance describing the music and giving the context that surrounds it.

 

[Tony1110]

That's a shame, though I can understand why the backstory plays such a huge role in reviews for music by Lewis. He's just so mysterious, and these albums are nearly inseparable from the mythic status build up around them.

I'll be discussing his second album, Romantic Times, in a coming blog post. I'll try to balance describing the music and giving the context that surrounds it.

I'm not saying that the backstory isn't relevant but when you get a review consisting mainly of that, then a few cursory words thrown in at the end about the music itself it seems a little lazy on the part of the reviewer. Did you know that they'd actually tracked him down? It seems he was oblivious to all the fuss the album had caused.

Loving that Hundred Waters LP BTW.

 

[MuppetFace]

I'm not saying that the backstory isn't relevant but when you get a review consisting mainly of that, then a few cursory words thrown in at the end about the music itself it seems a little lazy on the part of the reviewer. Did you know that they'd actually tracked him down? It seems he was oblivious to all the fuss the album had caused.

Loving that Hundred Waters LP BTW.

 
Yeah, I feel you. Like I said it's a shame. The story is only really interesting in light of the music.
By far the best descriptions of the music I've seen are in the re-issues' liner notes; hopefully someone transcribed them.
 
Glad you're digging Hundred Waters. These last few years have seen a veritable overflow of soulful vocals set to electronica, but it's really a testament to what they're doing when it sounds so completely fresh and captivating. I think it somehow invokes a kind of subconscious response for me, bringing up all these feelings that I can't place. Familiar yet simultaneously distant and hard to define.

 

[donunus]

So far, bear in Heaven and Teitanblood are among current faves

 

[Mimouille]

Nice to hear back from you...in style. If I manage to get more then 10mn free time I'll check the 80% I do not know...
Any gear of choice to listen to these tunes these days? Besides nice smelling earphones?

 

[warrenpchi]

Is everyone caught up yet?  There's a new post full of more stuff to check out!  

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/735852/hfb-9-23-14-metal-cats-the-best-live-band-the-worst-cinephile
 
P.S. -  Smart tip for y'all... you can subscribe to Muppet's entire blog (so you don't miss new posts) by clicking here.

 

[MuppetFace]

Any gear of choice to listen to these tunes these days? Besides nice smelling earphones?

 
 
I haven't been exploring new gear much this past year since I got some speakers and a new turntable (Dr. Feickert Analogue Woodpecker <3 <3).
Been enjoying the Jecklin Float QAs out of the Eddie Current 445. For portables I still prefer the Sony ZX1 Walkman.
Like the DITA Truth earphones, FitEar Melomane, and Audio-Technica's new flagship IM04. The Shure SE846 is still my favorite tho.
I was pretty bummed by FAD's Kanemori Takai passing away. The LAB1 is really great and a fitting swansong I suppose. Almost tied w/ the SE846.
Looking forward to Sony's new flagships, the XBA-Z5 and MDR-Z7.
Interested in Westone's W60 flagship.
Interested in the new Oppo and HiFiMan planars. Still waiting for Fang to release his new e-stat.
Still waiting for FitEar to make a universal Monet.
Still waiting for my Light Harmonic stuff which may never come....
 
 

I guess that makes it seem like I'm still really excited about new stuff, but IDK... I'm kinda lethargic right now.
The new Sonys are probably the most interesting thing for me at the moment.

 

[Mimouille]

I haven't been exploring new gear much this past year since I got some speakers and a new turntable (Dr. Feickert Analogue Woodpecker <3 <3).
Been enjoying the Jecklin Float QAs out of the Eddie Current 445. For portables I still prefer the Sony ZX1 Walkman.
Like the DITA Truth earphones, FitEar Melomane, and Audio-Technica's new flagship IM04. The Shure SE846 is still my favorite tho.
I was pretty bummed by FAD's Kanemori Takai passing away. The LAB1 is really great and a fitting swansong I suppose. Almost tied w/ the SE846.
Looking forward to Sony's new flagships, the XBA-Z5 and MDR-Z7.
Interested in Westone's W60 flagship.
Interested in the new Oppo and HiFiMan planars. Still waiting for Fang to release his new e-stat.
Still waiting for FitEar to make a universal Monet.
Still waiting for my Light Harmonic stuff which may never come....


I guess that makes it seem like I'm still really excited about new stuff, but IDK... I'm kinda lethargic right now.
The new Sonys are probably the most interesting thing for me at the moment.

I liked the ZX1 but a bit too colored / artificial sounding...the 240 is a bit more balanced. I want to grab a pair of 846 but I just got Roxannes and ordered 335. Why do love 846 so much. I am intrigued by w60 and Z5 too, but the latter seems averagely pretty...I like pretty stuff. Tell me more about the Lab1...how did you ever get one?

You are indeed still following everything...