LP's of 2014

1 - Sun Kil Moon - Benji

Rarely these days does an album stop me in my tracks and physically wrestles me into listening to it's lyrics.  Benji is a rare beast, I literally can't have this on in the background.  Mark Kozelek is known for making beautiful, sad and thought provoking albums, stretching back to the days of the Red House Painters.  However, this is a life-affirming masterpiece.  Granted it is mostly about death, but please don't let that put you off.  I genuinely believe Kozelek has not only made his masterpiece, he has made a record for the ages.

2 - King Creosote - From Scotland With Love

An LP with a story, with soul and with most importantly great songs.  This has been recorded as a soundtrack to an archival film about life in Scotland.  The passion in these songs creates at times a stack listen and that is before I have even seen the footage of miners or dock workers being soundtracked.  The climax is 'Pauper's Dough' a rousing call for a Socialist uprising.  Kenny Anderson has produced a stunning piece of work and a worthy successor to Diamond Mine.

3 - The Antlers - Familiars

On first listen I felt The Antlers had struggled to follow up 2011's best album in Burst Apart.    On this occasion I was thrilled when I was proved wrong.  Familiars is The Antlers comfortable in their own ambition and the arranged,tents of the music they are writing.   There is a real literary depth to Peter Silberman and his distinctive vocals are what set this band above what their peers are producing.

4 - Kiasmos - KiasmosThis Icelandic collaboration between revered classical componser Ólafur Arnalds and vocalist Janus Rasmussen.  This is a beautiful amalgamation between minimal techno and classical.  This could make it sound rather dull, but this has a real groove to it.  The layers Kiasmos have entwined through this album create an experimental yet infectious treat.

5 - Edward - Into a Better Future

Kraut-House is not a term I had heard before, now I want to investigate everything on the amazing German label this is released on (Giegling).  This is a journey through the deepest type of house music with a major Krautrock influence.  Skating Beats has a tight rhythm followed by a breakdown guaranteed to make a bad day feel better!

6 - Objekt - Flatland

More incredible German electronic music this time from the techno end of the spectrum.

7 - Grouper - Ruins
8 - Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
9 - Woods - With Light and With Love

Jangly indie pop at it's very best.  I absolutely love this band and this LP is up there with their best.

10 - Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else

11 - Cymbals Eat Guitars - Lose
12 - Caribou - Our Love
13 - The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
14 - Real Estate - Atlas
15 - Royksopp & Robyn - Do It Again 
16 - Ben Frost - Aurora
17 - FKA twigs - LP1
18 - Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire For No Witness
19 - East India Youth - Total Strife Forever
20 - A Sunny Day in Glasgow - Sea When Absent

Nearly made the top 20: Tweedy, Roman Flugel, Future Islands, Hookworms, Todd Terje, Cheetahs, Sisyphus, Clark

Another poor year of gig-going for me.  Luckily, End of the Road in September was the best yet, with stunning performances from Flaming Lips, White Denim, Woods and The Gene Clark No Other Band.  Thanks to the latter, Gene Clark's back catalogue has been on heavy rotation No Other and Two Sides to Every Story are both incredible.  Cloud Nothings and Hookworms were both excellent at the 100 Club in the Summer.  The National at Hyde Park was my favourite drunken sing-out-loud gig of the year (shame I couldn't stand by the time Neil Young came on!).  Steve Mason and Mouse on Mars were highlights of a slightly odd Camden Crawl back in June.  Nine Inch Nails rocking the O2 on Friday night followed by QPR winning at Wembley on the Saturday was a life highlight that will be very difficult to ever be topped!