Nathaniel Dawkins, aka Aloe Blacc, released an amazing follow up to one of my 2010 favorites Good Things called Lift Your Spirit. If you were listening to the radio, there is no doubt you heard the huge hit "The Man"and you may also recognize a stripped down acoustic version of his even bigger hit "Wake me Up" that was originally released as a EDM single with Avicii. There is a lot to love on this record beyond the hits, like "Love is the Answer" with Pharrell Williams. This is an easy record to put at the top of the list.
Several critics called this record, country music for people that don't like country music. That may be true, but I like country music, old-school country that is, and I love this record. If Nashville put out more records like this everyone would love country music. Not only is this one of my favorite records, "Turtles All the Way Down" is in my top three singles and to get even more granular this song has the best line I have heard in a song in years, "There's a gateway in our mind that leads somewhere out there beyond this plane/Where reptile aliens made of light cut you open and pull out all your pain." I think we are done here.
Sylvan Esso is the debut album from North Carolina duo Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn; she is the singer/songwriter best known as a member of Appalachian indie folk trio Mountain Man, and he is an electronic producer and bass player for country-psych rockers Megafaun. This is a beautiful record, but somehow I am surprised every time one of their songs, pops up on the iTunes shuffle. I suspect you will love the lead track "Hey Miami" which got some radio play, and the sexy fun cut "H.S.K.T." Very catchy, enjoyable pop music, with a little bit of a dark edge.
If I remember correctly this record won the 2015 Grammy for record of the year and there was a big controversy. Kanye West, who we all love to hate, said he should have given the award to Beyonce. Well I respectfully disagree Mr. West, but I am still amazed that an institution as banal as the Grammys finally recognized a genius like Beck. I think I have all his records and I recently went back and listened to them back to back. This is an amazing exercise I strongly encourage, the growth this man has shown us as an artist is truly amazing. Thank you Beck for staying amazing.
I don't remember where I heard about this record, but it was in heavy rotation last year - I am a sucker for the white soul boys. Australian electronica artist Nick Murphy grew up listening to the jazz great Chet Baker, thus the name Chet Faker. He writes, performs and produces all his own music. If you liked my Beck recommendation, this is a younger, slightly deeper version of that record.
I first discovered Kenny Anderson, AKA King Creosote, in 2011 with the release of Diamond Mine one of my all time favorite records. Mr. Anderson is a prolific artist, releasing over two dozen CDs on his own label, and playing in several bands. Unfortunately he does not seem to tour much outside of Europe, and the last time I was in Scotland I missed him by two days. This record is a wonderful compliment to his discography. Commissioned by the BBC and arts initiative Creative Scotland, it is a unique collaborative work with filmmaker Virginia Heath where Anderson provides a sort of conceptual soundtrack to Heath's moving documentary comprised entirely of archival footage depicting Scottish history.
I really love this record and it stretches the offerings a little bit. Curtis Harding built his career collaborating with OutKast and Cee Lo Green as a writer, producer and back up singer. Then he met up with Cole Alexander, guitarist with garage punks the Black Lips, and they discovered they both had a passion for vintage Southern soul. After a a few independent releases, we get to his solo debut Soul Power, an old school soul record, with a a few tunes that rock out. This record will take you back to the 60's and 70's, but it has a modern edge that keeps it fresh.
Courtney Barnett is another Aussie I fell in love with this year, although this record technically came out in 2013. In fact, this is a double EP that combines several previously released songs. Witty, simple songs that are very easy to like. I never imagined one of my favorite songs of the year, would be about an asthma attack, but "Avant Gardner" is great storytelling, and you'll be singing the line, "I'm having trouble breathing in" long after the song is over. Ms. Barnett already has a follow up record out, Sometimes I Sit And Think, Sometimes I Just Sit, that will probably make next years list.
Will every record Spoon put out be on my year end top 10? Yes. Because they still kick ass, and they are still putting out amazing records. After a four year lay off, Spoon are back with energy and a new keyboard player. In the interim primary songwriter Britt Daniels formed Divine Fits and the sound has rubbed off on this record. Daniel may sound a little paranoid, but clearly something is haunting him, as more than half of these songs are about people who want a piece of Daniels. Even though Spoon has moved to a major label, the indie sound remains, just a little tightened up.
I have saved the best for last, the album of the year for 2014: St. Vincent by St. Vincent. Before we get into the music, it's worth noting Annie Clark's transformation from guitar nerd to performance artist/guitar virtuoso. This is the best concert I saw in 2014, I haven't been that energized in years. Ms. Clark stayed in character the entire show, a show that would blow Madonna or Laurie Anderson off the stage. Meanwhile the songs rocked like we were at a Ramones show. I was starting to worry that David Byrne had inhabited her body after their 2013 collaboration Love This Giant, but in a 30 minute NPR interview, I heard after the tour, the Texas girl we know and love came back to the surface.
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