A: (4)
All About She I Cant Wait (feat. Jacob Banks)
Ariana Grande Be My Baby (feat. Cashmere Cat)
Ariel Pink - Plastic Raincoats in the Pig Parade
Azealia Banks Gimme a Chance
B: (11)
Bad Suns Take My Love and Run
BANKS Goddess
Basement Jaxx Summer Dem
Bat for Lashes Plan the Escape
Betty Who Alone Again
Beyonce 7/11
Bleachers I Wanna Get Better
Brendan Reilly E.S.P.
Brody Dalle Meet the Foetus/On the Joy
Broken Bells After the Disco
Broods Mother & Father
C: (8)
Calvin Harris Summer
Caribou Cant Do Without You
Charli XCX Famous
Cherub Do the Math
Chromeo Hard to Say No
Cibo Matto Dιjΰ vu
Clean Bandit Rather Be (feat. Jess Glynne)
Cookies July Seventeen
D: (2)
Damon Albarn Mr. Tembo
Duck Sauce Goodie Two Shoes
E: (2)
Elbow My Sad Captains
Emily King Distance
F: (2)
FKA twigs Two Weeks
Foxes Let Go For Tonight
G: (1)
Glass Animals Gooey
H: (3)
Haerts Heart
Highasakite Since Last Wednesday
Hozier Someone New
I: (3)
iamamiwhoami Fountain
Iggy Azealia Beg For It (feat. MO)
Ingrid Michaelson Wonderful Unknown (feat. Greg Laswell)
J: (4)
Jason Derulo Trumpets
Jess Glynne Home
Jessie J + Ari + Nicki Bang Bang
Jessie Ware Tough Love
K: (5)
Katy B Blue Eyes
Kendrick Lamar i
Kiesza Sound of a Woman
Kimbra Teen Heat
The Knocks The One (feat. Sneaky Sound System)
L: (6)
La Roux Sexotheque
Lights Up We Go
Lily Allen L8 CMMR
Little Daylight Nothing to Lose
Little Dragon Nabuma Rubberband
Lykke Li Heart of Steel
M: (7)
Magic Man Texas
Marina & the Diamonds Froot
Mark Ronson Uptown Funk (feat. Bruno Mars)
Meghan Trainor Lips Are Movin
Metronomy Call Me
MisterWives Reflections
MO Slow Love
N: (0)
None!
O: (0)
None!
P: (4)
Paloma Faith Mouth to Mouth
Paolo Nutini Better Man
Phantogram Fall in Love
Pharrell Williams Come Get it Bae
Q: (1)
QT Hey QT
R: (3)
Redinho Making Up the Rules
Roisin Murphy In Sintesi
Royksopp & Robyn Sayit
S: (11)
Sam Smith Ive Told You Now
SBTRKT New Dorp, New York (feat. Ezra Koenig)
Shakira 23
Sheppard Geronimo
Sochi Boys Put it in Putin
SOHN Veto
Sophie Hard
Sophie Ellis-Bextor Runnaway Dreamer
St. Vincent Rattlesnake
Stromae Meltdown (feat. Buncha Peeps)
Sylvan Esso Coffee
T: (5)
Taylor Swift Shake It Off
Tensnake Love Sublime (feat. Nile Rogers & Fiora)
Todd Terje Alfonso Muskedunder
Tove Lo Talking Body
tUnE-yArDs Water Fountain
U: (0)
None!
V: (2)
Vacationer In the Grass
Vanilla Wish You Were Here
W: (0)
None!
X: (0)
None!
Y: (0)
None!
Z: (0)
None!
Yeah I'm like 1000 years late so sue me I had a rate to finish. And Parks & Rec to marathon. And video games to play... and alcohol to drink, THE POINT IS! This will begin in the morning and finish idk before the break is over!
So the way I want to do this is just go through my list of musicians whose albums came out in 2014, or had an EP, or cool single, or whatever. And I'll do it A-Z, and it may kinda change as time goes by since there's other albums I still need to listen to. Basically meaning, the first posting may be of A-C, so Azealia Banks would appear and I'd talk about a song from her I liked, and then I'd talk about Caribou and a song I liked!
No pretty format or anything, but I'll include a vid to the song and then also a lil description and also other songs I liked from that musician that came out in 2014. Sound good? Let's boogie.
Thanks for the support everyone, also I need to check out others' Best of 2014s so if you have one feel free to lemme know so I can check it out. I've been pretty bad at that this year.
I have about 84 musicians, so I'm gonna spread it out to 14 musicians for 6 days because I wanna get it done before I go on some pre-school vacation trips. And it ends on V because I haven't really immersed myself in any people whose letters start with W-Z from last year. Not yet at least.
Oh yeah, and if there's someone I didn't cover feel free to also let me know that, so I can say why or check them out. Gonna get going in a lil bit!
Who: All About She What: I Can't Wait (feat. Jacob Banks) Why: All About She did some song with V V Brown back in 2013 so I've had my eye on them for a while. I really like this one because it's very simple and easy to listen to. The xylophone is infectious and Jacob's vocals match the girl singing pretty well, especially when they sing together. Also: If you liked this, just check out their whole EP. It's pretty much in the same vein. They're also on Calvin's album from this year.
Who: Ariana Grande What: Be My Baby (feat. Cashmere Cat) Why: That CHORUS is just too good. It just crawls into your head and gets stuck there forever. Very well written imo. Really, I think it's just the chorus that drew me in so much. I thought most of the album was kinda crap, but this one is a true highlight. Also: You've heard them already, but Problem and Love Me Harder are other greats from the album.
Who: Ariel Pink What: Plastic Raincoats in the Pig Parade Why: I think my favorite thought as I listen to this song is that it sounds like a Gorillaz song before it busts out into the rapper. It's the most goofy, fun, and interesting track from pom pom, not counting Nude Beach since I can't decide if I prefer his or AB's version. Can't help but cheer "oh yeah! oh yeah!" with him and his idk kid's chorus? Also: Jell-o cracks me up, I like that one too. White Freckles is pretty cool. And Nude Beach.
Who: Azealia Banks What: Gimme a Chance Why: The demo definitely served its purpose and was fun and a track to mull fans over until official releases, but missed that KICK to keep you in. The rap in the demo may be better, but the 2014 version is just... perfection. The loud trumpets in the beginning rap section, that sampled girl, the DJ scratching his discs, it's great. You think it can't get better. THEN SUDDENLY, after the trumpet instrument section, it breaks out into some salsa ****. And Azealia then confidently not only sings in Spanish but also raps. Fantastic. Also: I've been obsessed with Soda since the album dropped, but Ice Princess and Desperado are must-listens to get a true taste of pretty AB.
Who: Bad Suns What: Take My Love and Run Why: I'm a big fan of the bass on this song. It's a super breezy song, at least before the chorus, and is just super carefree! I like the dude's voice too. Another simple song that I've been jamming to a lot this year. Also: Cardiac Arrest and Matthew James
Who: BANKS What: Goddess Why: I wanted to do Brain for BANKS, or even Warm Water, but they both didn't come out in 2014... so I went with this one. Like in Brain, BANKS seems to work well with songs where she's berating the dude who "****ed with a goddess" and messed up. The beat is pretty cool and I like how, especially in the beginning, it sounds kinda like you're underwater. Also: Brain, Warm Water, and This is What It Feels Like
Who: Basement Jaxx What: Summer Dem Why: For those of you who don't know: Basement Jaxx are my favorite musicians, for SURE. So it was a treat for them to release a new album after 5 years. Junto is kinda like a mix of something from every album; it's cool. This track has a fantastic disco funky beat and while the girl singing over the track is a treat, the best part of this song is that vocalist with the thick Scottish (Glaswegian specifically) accent swooning to a guy who is definitely her type. You don't typically think of Scotland when you think of summer lol. Also: The whole album! Well, okay, if you're into girl vocals check out Unicorn. Male vocals, Never Say Never (it's GRAMMY-nominated!). Also Power to the People is amazing.
Who: Bat for Lashes What: Plan the Escape Why: I think the droning production is really annoying, but I really just love Natasha's vocals and the lyrics do fit the movie, so I felt obligated to include her. Also: If you don't listen to Bat for Lashes, check out All Your Gold and Laura from their 2012 album.
Who: Betty Who What: Alone Again Why: Betty Who is really big on 80s influence, and songs like this are true gems. Her kinda Katy Perry (yeck) and kinda Robyn vocals are super powerful and the chorus is incredibly catchy. Guitar solos in pop songs are pretty risky, but I think it works well here! Overall it's just a fun pop track. Also: Just Like Me is kinda funky fun. Somebody Loves You is a great pick-me-up song.
Who: Beyonce What: 7/11 Why: I wanted to, of course, include Bey for this year, and I like this more than the Nicki remix and Ring Off. I'm liking Bey's urban swag for this era and it's just continuing with this track. The auto-tune actually works well in this song, especially in the "don't drop that ALCAHAL!!!!" part. It's like... Bey told me not to drop that alcahal, and if I do she'll be so disappointed. I don't wanna disappoint Bey. Also: Uh check out her 2013 album if you haven't already (how wouldn't you have?!)
Who: Bleachers What: I Wanna Get Better Why: I like this Bleachers guy significantly more than fun. Well, okay, I do like some fun. songs. My only issue with Bleachers is when he does his quiet droning voice right at the beginning of the song it's odd, but besides that this song is a JAM! The chorus is pretty strong and the overall feel-good erm feeling of the song is swell. Also: Wild Heart and Rollercoaster. He also did an interesting rendition of Wild Heart with Yoko Ono... interesting.
Who: Brendan Reilly What: E.S.P. Why: Okay, yes, the video isn't E.S.P. because the song isn't on Youtube (I'll probably have to upload it lmao) so I put up another of his songs that I like a lot. You can find the song on Spotify though! This guy is awesome. I found him out because he did live stuff with Basement Jaxx. He reminds me a lot of Marvin Gaye... kinda. This song involves a lot of scatting rather than actual lyrics, but it's a clear display of how great his vocals actually are. I can't wait for him to release a full LP soon. Also: He has two EPs out, I recommend the one with Turned On, Champagne, and How It's Gonna Be on it.
Who: Brody Dalle What: Meet the Foetus/Oh the Joy Why: Brody is the lead singer from the Distillers and decided to make a solo project. It's kinda lame and a bit of a watered down Garbage rehash, but this song is a treat and coincidentally includes back up vocals from Garbage's own Shirley Manson. The change from the first song to the second is pretty cool. The rest of the album is a bit too loud for my liking though. Also: Rat Race is a pretty good song too.
Who: Broken Bells What: After the Disco Why: I haven't fully gotten into this album quite yet, but I love the title track a lot. The bassline is glorious and the keys right after the chorus are piercing, in a good way. Also: Check out the full album!
That's all for today! I'm gonna check out other best ofs now!
A
All About She I Cant Wait (feat. Jacob Banks) --- this is ok
Ariana Grande Be My Baby (feat. Cashmere Cat) --- this is borderline basic/enjoyable
Ariel Pink - Plastic Raincoats in the Pig Parade --- I really like this song, not my fave pom pom song though.
Azealia Banks Gimme a Chance --- amazing, perfect song
B
Bad Suns Take My Love and Run --- this one's alright, I prefer "Cardiac Arrest"
BANKS Goddess --- not a fan of her. I love "Beggin For Thread" though.
Basement Jaxx Summer Dem --- did not care for Junto
Bat for Lashes Plan the Escape --- she has better songs
Betty Who Alone Again --- this one's ok, the only song of hers that really grabbed me was "Somebody Loves You"
Beyonce 7/11 --- not my fav Bey song either but still a major bop
Bleachers I Wanna Get Better --- 10/10 Love it.
Brendan Reilly E.S.P. --- This is really good
Brody Dalle Meet the Foetus/On the Joy --- Didn't enjoy this album either
Broken Bells After the Disco --- Love this song but the album was extremely disappointing.
These are my favourites:
Ariana Grande Be My Baby (feat. Cashmere Cat)
Azealia Banks Gimme a Chance
Bat for Lashes Plan the Escape
Beyonce 7/11
Broken Bells After the Disco
I need to hear some of the rest. I think I should give Banks another try.
Great to see Basement Jaxx, Bleachers, and Broken Bells get some representation.
I was really impressed with Bleachers's album, much stronger than Some Nights imo and the Jaxx are one of my favorite artists also! Underrated electronic duo they are
Gimme A Chance is excellent also. Glad you gave a shout-to Desperado also!
Thank you all for the comments and support and such! You're all amazing. Sorry for a late day update to my list, I've had a pretty busy day but I'm here now! And as promised I'll check out all yourses Best Ofs too.
Who: Broods What: Mother & Father Why: These guys are actually my last B before we go into the Cs! They didn't have the best album, but some songs were pretty good! I like this one because it kinda has that "Do I Wanna Know" beat and Georgia's vocals sound sweet on the track. Also: Bridges and L.A.F.
Who: Calvin Harris What: Summer Why: I'm the type of person who really wasn't a fan of Calvin post-Ready for the Weekend because the sound was too commercial for me. He's always had a few standouts here and there though, like Bounce on the last record. Summer is a really good track and does a good job of giving the track the summer vibes, besides just being and EDM song. His vocals are pretty melancholy and the subtle production in the verses is really nice. And the lyrics are harmless too. Also: Not much from Motion, but Together with Gwen was enjoyable (and the best thing she's done all year...).
Who: Caribou What: Can't Do Without You Why: Probably simple of me to have this as the Caribou track, but it rocks! It took me 2 listens for the album to really sink in, but I always loved this track. It starts out slow, progresses greatly, the repetition of the title, and the mix of the organic voice and muffled robotic voice works really well. My highlight - well highlights - would be when the song climaxes and the 20 seconds before the end of the song. Also: Mars was so close to being the track I chose, so check it out. Also Silver and Second Chance (this one has a female leading the vocals!).
Who: Charli XCX What: Famous Why: Sucker is a great sophomore release and mix of punk-pop and shiny, glittery pop tracks. This one is kind of a mix of the two. Her chorus vocals are super cute and the concept of pretending to be famous as you have a totally bonkers night is cool. Greg Kurstin's productions have the worry of being about... 40-60 on good-not good tracks, so it's nice that he made something good for our lil Charlotte (that's her full name right...?) Also: Doing It (WHY HAVE RITA ON IT?! I mean I know why commercially but...) is pop perfection, London Queen is super fun, and Body of My Own is hot.
Who: Cherub What: Do the Math Why: Cherub are kinda like a novelty version of Chromeo (hint?), and it's kinda cool. I don't 100% understand the "two nickels ain't 1 dime" quote in the chorus, but you know what, it's a fun "proverb" to tell people even though you don't really know what you're saying. The "ahh ahh ahh" towards the end of the song is funny and I like it. Also: Doses and Mimosas is a party staple, so check it out. Disco **** is pretty fun too.
Who: Chromeo What: Hard to Say No Why: I think electro-funk is cool, and Chromeo does a pretty good job of it. They usually have a couple collaborations with indie darlings like Solange, Ezra from VW, and Toro y Moi, but this solo track was my favorite from last year. It's so playful in production and scatting (the scatting in the last minute is SO FUN) yet the lyrics are pretty true. We all need space once in a while. Check it out. Also: Jealous (I Ain't With It), Come Alive with Toro y Moi, and Old 45s
Who: Cibo Matto What: Deja Vu Why: Cibo Matto were my girls over the summer and I listened to their album a pretty good amount. Deja Vu is by far the top track. The Luigi Mansion ghostly string/synths in the beginning of the song is spooky and a great fit of the album concept (a ghost in a hotel). The electronic beat with organic instruments like the trumpet make the song unique. The rap about halfway through is the highlight wherein the bass gets heavier and heavier as the rap goes on. Lyrically, I love "I wanna move my world, I wanna move my body, I wanna move... you!" Right when the bass gets loudest too. Also: MFN (MOTHA ****IN NATURE!!!), Emerald Tuesday, 10th Floor Ghost Girl, and Check Out - I really like the girls in this rare intimate track.
Who: Clean Bandit What: Rather Be (feat. Jess Glynne) Why: I've been really into this since... March? I was pretty happy when it finally crossed the pond. It's so pretty and fun! It's a perfect new-age house slash pop song with Jess bringing along some amazing vocals. The combination of the violin and cello with the electronic production is quite crisp. Also: Their other collab with Jess is their only good thing to check out because their album SUCKED.
Who: Cookies What: July Seventeen Why: My good friend told me to start utilizing Bandcamp more, which is one of my 2015 goals, so one time in September I listened to a weekly podcast. Cookies was featured in it and I just fell in love with the song included. I listened to the whole album and had to buy it. These guys are some sort of weird combination of being timeless, but also fresh and new musicians. They fuse all sorts of genres together perfectly, like pop, electronic, R&B, funk... a lot of stuff! The album flows really smoothly too. I really recommend these guys and I'm happy that they are my closing musicians for the letter C. Also: Go Back, Crybaby (A), Music for Touching, and Katharine
Who: Damon Albarn What: Mr. Tembo Why: I'm just gonna assume that the stringed instrument is a ukulele and it sounds nice in the song! Very much relaxing and hammock music. Damon's voice works well with this non-electronic backing and I've always liked Gorillaz tracks with children orchestra's (Dirty Harry) and I believe it works well here too. Also: The rest of his album was meh, but The Selfish Giant is pretty cool and has Bat for Lashes's Natasha on backing vox.