So, this week we have reached the halfway point of 2014. Not quite sure where the year has gone, but I do know it’s not behind the fridge, or the bed, or stuffed in the pockets of those jeans that have just gone in the wash. Although saying that I did find a shiny new five pence piece. Some guys have all the luck I believe the saying goes.
Anyhoo, if there’s one thing music nerds like doing is making lists, and I am no exception. I have spent the last couple of weeks frantically making a shortlist, which in turn became another shortlist, which be..you get the point.
This year has been another rather excellent year for music and compiling a list of my favourite 15 albums so far was not an easy task. The fact that the first list had 46 albums on it shows the quality of releases, and that’s just from the albums that I’ve managed to cram into my ears.
After much deliberation, swearing, cups of tea and even a stubbed toe I reached a final 15. The list below are the crème de la crème of 2014. The music that has moved me, made me sing along, made me smile and at times made me a tad emotional.
Any one of these 15 releases are worth your hard earned cash and deserve to be listened to. All apologies as well to the bands that didn’t make the final list, including Swans, Eight Rounds Rapid, Sharon Van Etten, Mogwai, Actress and many more.
Really looking forward to what the second half of the year has to bring.
Here’s the list and I’ll see you next week!
Christina Vantzou – No 2
Fashoda Crisis – Almost Everyone Is Entirely Average At Almost Everything
Johnny Foreigner – You Can Do Better
Julie Byrne – Rooms With Walls And Windows
La Sera – Hour Of The Dawn
Liars – Mess
Marissa Nadler – July
Mica Levi – Under The Skin
Ringo Deathstarr – God’s Dream
Sun Kil Moon – Benji
Thee Silver Mt Zion – F*** Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything
The War On Drugs – Lost In The Dream
Warpaint – S/T
Woods – With Light And With Love
Real Estate – Atlas
You can listen to this show and many others on the 33RPM Mixcloud page :
https://www.mixcloud.com/33rpmphoenix/
