At five songs totalling just 22 minutes, the debut recording from Operators doesn’t technically qualify to be on a list of albums. But "EP1" is simply too good to leave off the year's best Canadian music. The latest project from Montreal's Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs, Divine Fits) is icy synth-pop perfection, dance music that rocks, and filled with more hooks than an anglers' convention. Fans of New Order and Depeche Mode, as well as Boeckner's old bands, should be on high-alert for for the proper full-length, due in 2015.
West Coast punk rock is alive and well in Vancouver-bred White Lung, whose third album is one of the brashest, boldest of 2014. The trio of Mish Way, Kenneth William and Anne-Marie Vassiliou are angry about all the right things ("I Believe You," a rage-fuelled reaction to rape culture, is particularly on-point) and delivers its sonic attacks with whiplash-inducing speed and dexterity that verges on extreme metal. White Lung has often been compared to the girls of 90s grunge but "Deep Fantasy" proves this is no nostalgia trip, it’s vitally now.
A class act that just keeps getting classier, Vancouver vocalist Jill Barber hit all the right notes in her latest collection of romantic, retro-inspired jazz, soul and pop. There’s even some classic country crooning in the mix this time. The stories of love lost and found may often be sad but Barber keeps things light and sweet. The kind of record that deserves to be on Christmas gift-giving lists because Santa knows your parents own enough Michael Bublé already.
"This is a song about decapitating your lover in their sleep. It's a love song." So claimed Cold Specks in a CBC Radio interview about her track "Old Knives." The gallows humour is strong in this one. Toronto’s Al Spx got deeper and darker on her sophomore album, melancholic and macabre folk tales filtered through blues and soul and church hymns and more noise than ever. She scored NYC cult music icon Michael Gira of Swans as a guest vocalist too, another sign that Cold Specks' ruckus is spreading down south.
Making good on the promise of 2013's infectious single "Headphones," the indie rock supergroup known as The Mounties released its fine full debut this year. Hawksley Workman, Steve Bays (ex-Hot Hot Heat) and Ryan Dahle (Limblifter) may be having more fun than any band in the country right now, jamming out their brainy, retrofuturist power pop with effortless enthusiasm. If you can't boogie down to a handclap song called "Hall & Oates," we can't help you.
The extra V is for re-vvvvvvvverb. Toronto's contribution to the shoegaze revival, Alvvays excel at the kind of shimmering, melancholic guitar pop that made cult stars of Teenage Fanclub, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and the like. Vocalist Molly Rankin is descendant of Cape Breton singing royalty The Rankin Family; guitarist Alex O’Hanley played in Two Hours Traffic — so, hardly newcomers. Their highly regarded debut is packed with perfect songs of the summer (see: "Archie, Marry Me") you may have missed. Still time to catch up.
The man Pitchfork coined "The Goofball Prince" is possibly the wackiest character to emerge from Canadian music scene since k.d. lang ran onstage to accept her Most Promising Juno in a wedding dress. His oddball antics grab the headlines, but if anything will help him live down his reputation as the guy who put drumsticks up his butt at a gig it will be the kind of songwriting on display on this second album, a strange trip of deceptively sophisticated, wobbly power pop which caught the attention of the Polaris Prize, Rolling Stone, NME, Mojo and just about every blogger going. DeMarco now lives in Brooklyn so expect his indie rock cachet to keep climbing.
Leonard Cohen is 80 years old. That doesn’t mean the legend of Canadian song gets a free pass to put out whatever he wants and get a gold star…but close. Think about how rare it is to hear an album written by someone with that much life experience, never mind someone of Cohen's lyrical and philosophical prowess. Fans will know and expect his formula of late (prominent female vocal accompaniment, '80s-style production values), which doesn't exactly "wow" on first listen. But if you spend time with "Popular Problems," all the wisdom of Cohen reveals itself, and that is one thing that hasn't lost its allure or luster.
In her Polaris Prize-winning breakthrough album, Inuk singer Tanya Tagaq produced something wholly unique, capturing the way she feels about human and animal nature using wild experiments in vocal and instrumental improvisations. It’s at times a very angry record (her commentary on "Fracking" most especially), which makes watching it take hold of listeners across Canada all the more surprising and rewarding. We The North, indeed.
"Let’s Be Ready" sounds like one of those Molson’s beer commercials, where the prettiest Canadians are packed into some wood cabin having good times with good music. When you fire up the opening track on "Let’s be Ready" — appropriately called "Saturday Night" — you are invited to just such a party. Stick around for the Sunday morning songs, too. The Toronto-based band has been circling its wagon around alt-country and indie rock scenes for years but it's safe to say with this fourth album has officially joined the ranks of The Hip, The Sadies, Blue Rodeo as one of the country's most reliable purveyors of good, solid rock 'n' roll.
Bahamas is Afie Jurvanen. "Bahamas is Alfie" is his beautiful third record, which he made (for the most part) by himself. Guitar, bass, piano, his mellow, mellifluous voice. It’s the kind of easy-going singer-songwriter stuff that recalls the best of the 1970s (i.e., Nick Drake), but with the coolness of Beck and stellar modern production from Robbie Lackritz (Feist, Zeus). The stand-out track, "All the Time," was recently featured in an ad for Verizon starring James Franco and is now climbing the Billboard rock charts.
This disco-loving duo, born in Montreal and working around the globe for the past ten years, almost cracked the Billboard Top 10 with their fourth record. But with four hit singles — "Over Your Shoulder," "Sexy Socialite," "Come Alive" and "Jealous (I Aint With It)" — and guests including Solange Knowles, Toro Y Moi and members of Vampire Weekend and LCD Soundsystem, "White Women" was still a great smash, glistening with slick, sexy, and yes silly, synth-funk. Plenty of new acts try to party like it's 1999, but Chromeo actually delivers.
After a long tease that began in 2011 with some reunion shows and the odd Youtube clip of a new song here or there, Jesse F. Keeler and Sebastien Grainger finally dropped the album few thought would ever be made. The follow-up to their 2004 debut was a satisfyingly big bang, picking up right where the drum/bass dance-noise duo left off with crushingly heavy singles "Trainwreck 1979" and "Government Trash," but also offering some surprises like the QOTSA-like mellow of "White is Red," the grooviest horror punk song in "Right on, Frankenstein," and plenty more. The only bad thing folks could find to say about this album is that it sounds just like DFA 1979, which is exactly what the country's rock scene has been waiting for. A most welcome return!
Arca's challenging debut album is making a lot of people excited that he's also working on the upcoming Bjork album. Extremely forward-thinking experimental music that's also emotionally powerful. No wonder Kanye West, Mykki Blanco, and FKA Twigs have all called on the up-and-coming producer for help.
This sequel to last year's excellent "Vapor City LP" wraps up Machinedrum's year long "Vapor City" series, and dives further into his drum'n'bass influences. Dark and moody, but also richly melodic and textured, "Archives" proves there are still lots of new possibilities to be found in chopping up breakbeats.
Few could have predicted that an album of defiantly queer electronic covers of black metal songs would be such a pleasure to listen to, especially considering how gleefully abrasive most of these industrial rave versions turned out to be.
The cranky Detroit house curmudgeon returned with an epic album of his trademark deconstructed soul. His immediately identifiable voice more at the forefront than ever before, showcasing a charismatic gravelly Sly Stone-esque croon that was only hinted at previously.
While Toro Y Moi's Chaz Bundick doesn't have that much personal history with dance music, the debut album by his club-oriented alter-ego Les Sins definitely doesn't sound like the work of a dabbling dilettante. One eye on the future, another on the roots of dance music, Michael bounces freely between tempos and moods, but it somehow all holds together as a cohesive album.
On the sequel to his gorgeous 2011 debut album, SBTRKT pushed past the restrictions of the post-dubstep tag he was saddled with, and allowed himself to get more eclectic and unpredictable. The lush layers and textures of his earlier work were dialed back a notch to allow the melodies and vocals to take more of a central role.
Richie Hawtin's first Plastikman album in eleven years divided the critics, but that's nothing new. Rather than retreat to the studio, he indulged in a live recording of all new material performed at the Guggenheim, capturing the raw spontaneity of his early acid techno experiments, while also revisiting the stark atmospherics of his later studio albums.
Closer to his great aunt Alice Coltrane’s cosmic jazz than contemporary electronic music, Flying Lotus’s fifth album "You’re Dead" was a deeply experimental, darkly emotional, and yet surprisingly easy to digest album that drew connections between hip-hop, IDM, jazz, funk, and even some metal.
"Our Love" fused the ethereal electronic pop of Dan Snaith’s last Caribou album "Swim" with the chunky beats and warped analog synths of his dance floor side project, Daphni, while also exploring slower R&B tempos and flavours. He made particularly great use of guest singer Jessy Lanza's soaring vocals on "Second Chance," and Owen Pallett's dramatic string arrangements.
The IDM master is back after a 13-year gap between albums, and despite how influential he's become, Richard D James still sounds like nothing else out there. "Syro" showcased his more melodic and funky side, which made for a more accessible and consistently pleasurable Aphex Twin album, but thankfully the results were still as delightfully weird as always.
Sub Pop has been recently releasing albums that exhaustingly and shamefully play to their longtime followers (see: METZ) but with Goat they have found themselves an innovative act that earns their following fan by fan with their live show. Often, a band like Goat either becomes known for their recordings or live performances, but rarely both. However, with 'Commune,' Goat has captured their high-level act in person and condensed it into an album that flows naturally.
With a continued effort towards incredible music videos that keep the viewer watching for longer than 20 seconds (an impressive ability today) and a seamless marriage of post-punk guitars with a peppering of contemporary electronic production techniques, Relations have made a reliable album with their debut, 'Songbirds' that has consistently made listeners leave the LP on their turntable for days.
Even with a critical reputation of being a poor man's Ariel Pink, Connan Mockasin has grown significantly with his latest release, "Caramel." It swerves between the lanes of psych and noir&b with smug sexual moods fuelling the ride. "Caramel" is an appropriate album for either an after-party, or a dinner party, especially if there is a fishbowl and car keys involved in the latter.
With the David Bowie-esque beat and energy of lead single "Simple and Sure," Kip Berman and company followed up "Belong" with a showcase of how much they've learned about writing pop songs. On the deluxe edition, released later in the year, they've included the hit "Poison Touch" which was rumoured to be written by Berman for Taylor Swift but was turned down presumably because Kip Berman isn't a 43-year-old Swedish guy.
Toronto's Teenanger crosses over between garage rock and underground new wave, which helps them avoid repeatedly playing to the same audience, and with their latest release, they have taken another turn in what will be looked back as one of the most interesting bands out of the Golden Horseshoe during their active period. The bathtub slapback delay on lead singer Chris Swimming's vocals are almost the only sonic connection between the band's discography, and it serves as an intelligent choice to thread all their releases. Very few acts in the country rival Teenanger's output or live show. Catch them in your butterfly net while you can.
What’s most impressive with the Primitives first release in over twenty years isn't just the fact that they've released an album, (which is the case for almost every legend act making an attempt to return to the zeitgeist) but the fact that it holds up against their early work AND against all the bands and artists that have been imitating them recently. Put The Primitives' new album on a The Voice-style competition next to the Allo Darlin's of the world, and they will come out on top every time.
With their eighth(!) studio album (not including equally reliable EPs and rarities comps) The Raveonettes again show that they are not pigeonholed to play "surf" music or in any specific key, as was the criticism of their early career. Using nontraditional arrangements, instruments they haven't used before and beats that range from boss nova to mid-nineties nu-breaks, Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo are almost showboating their own writing skills. They might be the only act left over from the early aughts "The" band phenomenon that actually know how to write for their fanbase while simultaneously not exploiting them.
Coming off 2011's "Arab Spring," Slumberland Records' "Literature" did not seem to have any room to write catchier guitar-based indie pop, but they wrote and recorded their label's finest full-length of the year. We have been inundated with sparkly guitars in indie pop for years now, so only the finest songwriters are heard above the rest, and "Chorus" cemented Literature as the leaders in their field.
Gaining headlines just before this album was released by taking a swipe at the aging queen of pop when asked about rumours of co-production on Madonna's umpteenth comeback album was an ideal slice of PR that could have easily backfired if Ariel Pink did not release what could be easily considered his finest album yet. The most impressive part about Ariel Pink's oeuvre might be trying to guess where he pulls his inspiration from, with some of the best guesses being anything from 1970s European children’s programming to jingles from local businesses advertising on cable access stations. In a time where derivative songs are the only thing that seems to gain support from the industry and fans, Ariel Pink is truly an innovator.
The Black Moth Super Rainbow leader, and subversive woodland dweller, Tobacco released "Ultima II Massage" this year, tied to a video directed by Eric Wareheim, the man responsible for all of the absurdity you see in culture; from Old Spice ads to Mac DeMarc's entire career: That’s not to say Wareheim’s terrifying video for "Streaker" carried the music. Tobacco created a backbone for his songs that any trap artist would beg to have as his backing track, and textures it with synths and vocal production that sounds like he may actually be a time traveler, back from the future to blow our minds… much like that popular Wareheim GIF.
After firmly establishing himself in mainstream ears with the Avicii megahit "Wake Me Up," singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc worked double-time to ensure you remembered his face this year. The Southern Cali native delivered a major-label debut in "Lift Your Spirit" that is equal parts soul, folk and pop. The anthemic "I’m the Man" delivers just enough braggadocio to remind you who he is and where he's been and the overall album borrows a Bill Withers sound and sensibility to stand out in 2014.
Solana Rowe, otherwise known by her performing name SZA dropped an underrated debut in "Z" this year. The St. Louis-born artist crafted a neo-soul type effort with the 10-track album, working with artists like Chance the Rapper, Isaiah Rashad and Kendrick Lamar for a minimalist, chilled-out and highly groove-oriented sound that grabbed ears and attention in 2014.
With his sixth album, Trey Songz knows who he is and what his brand of R&B/soul is all about. Lead single "Na Na" was hella catchy, proof that Songz has the R&B-pop template down pat. Packed with sexual metaphors — see "Cake" for a highly charged and non-subtle example — Songz might has a perfunctory approach to songwriting but the musical impact of the hit-driven "Trigga" is capable all the same.
The much heralded Theophilus London finally dropped his much anticipated project titled "Vibes" in 2014. Executive produced by Kanye West, the project mines hip-hop, new wave, funk and electronic sounds create an interesting soul soundscape. As an album whose sum is more that its parts, the stylish and conscious "Vibes" more than aptly describes London's radio-ready effort.
Likely one of the most slept-on albums of the year, the return of Kelis saw her release a solid effort produced by TV on the Radio's Dave Sitek. About 10 years removed from her "Milkshake" hit, Kelis delivered a soulful, food-themed project in 2014 — with titles like "Jerk Ribs," "Hooch" and "Friday Fish Fry" — that is well worth a second listen.
Simply put, Pharrell is owning the music industry right now. Off the goodwill built up from that ear worm known as "Happy” it seems like the producer and recording artist can do no wrong at this point. "Girl" marks his first proper studio project in more than eight years but it was worth the wait. Merging pop, funk, soul and dance sounds, "Girl" stood tall in 2014 off the strength of tracks such as "Marilyn Monroe" and "Come Get It Bae."
Full name Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo, the artist better known as Jhené Aiko finally dropped her full-length debut "Souled Out," and while it wasn't a home run, it was definitely a triple. The highly charismatic Los Angeles native isn't the strongest singer but her breathy vocals, dreamy production and funky aesthetic gets the project over. More like an appetizer than the main dish, her album in 2014 serves to hint at her future potential.
With her debut album, Tinashe drops a commercially successful project that feels both experimental and throwback at the same time. The strength of her hit track "2 On" was probably one of the most often heard this past summer and for good reason. Sultry and sexy both describe Tinashe and the album. Overall, "Aquarius" hits you with anthemic sounds, minimalistic production and something that stands out in 2014.
Whether you consider him Pop or R&B, there is no denying that London singer-songwriter had a big, big year in 2014. The track "Stay With Me" dominated the charts and numbers like "Money On My Mind" and "Good Thing" sees the talented soul crooner display his impressive singing and writing capabilities to strong and captivating effect. Sam Smith has staying power and "In The Lonely Hour" stands out as a bright spot for music in 2014.
Much has been said about Tahliah Debrett Barnett — better known as FKA Twigs — and for good reason. The London-based singer-songwriter, producer and dance delivered a debut studio album that mixed elements of moody R&B and electronic sounds to pleasing effects. Ambitious and compelling, FKA Twigs’ mature beyond her years sensibilities make the synth-heavy "LP1" one of the year's best in any genre.
The Top Dawg Entertainment crew boasts such heavyweight members as Schoolboy Q and Kendrick Lamar but don't count out Ab-Soul. The charismatic one hit us with an interesting record in "These Days…," the follow-up to 2012's "The Control System," and plays the perpetual underdog role to perfection with tracks like "Just Have Fun" and "Sapiosexual." It's an album you might have slept on; time to wake up.
The knock against Big K.R.I.T. has been that his mixtape output was always better than the full-length albums that he put out. With "Cadillactica," that no longer can be said. This first studio effort since 2012's "Live From the Underground," Big K.R.I.T. packs "Cadillactica" with a bevy of guest names like Bun B., Common, Wiz Khalifa and Raphael Saddiq who come along for a funk-filled hip-hop ride.
Detroit's Black Milk seems to drop a new album every month. With "Hell Below," the rapper and producer offered up a smooth project that proves why he's one of the most artistically daring and consistent hip-hop acts out there. "Hell Below" pushes genre boundaries and maintains a smooth aesthetic that demands multiple plays.
TDE label mates Ab-Soul and Isaiah Rashad made the year-end list, as does ScHoolboy Q with a solid album release in the bleak and gloomy "Oxymoron." ScHoolboy delivers a nuanced project that delivers new school hip-hop anthems as Q's unapologetic and rough around the edges style make "Oxymoron" live up to its album title.
With "Under Pressure," Logic shows why he's been worthy of all the hype that's come his way. The Maryland rapper leans on the always-solid beats of producer No I.D. to flip lyrical skills and display robust storytelling throughout. Logic has always been one to watch and "Under Pressure" serves to act as his coming out party of sorts.
It's almost hard to believe but Azealia Banks actually released a full-length album this year. "Broke With Expensive Taste" arrives under cover of record label strife but it arrived nonetheless to show why the artist has intrigued for so long. The project encompasses a dizzying array of styles and sounds and Banks' ability to flow and deliver on a consistent level is amazing
While there is a generation coming up that will only know The Roots as the house band for late night talk show host Jimmy Fallon, the venerable hip-hop band dropped its 11th studio album "And Then You Shoot Your Cousin" with no seeming commercial aspirations. Questlove, Black Thought and crew blessed us with a streamlined and thought-provoking album that proves the late-night gig hasn't made them soft.
With "Cilvia Demo," Tennessee native Isaiah Rashad proved why he's a force to be reckoned with in today’s hip-hop scene. As a member of the West Coast TDE crew along with Kendrick Lamar, Rashad delivers a Southern hip-hop vibe — by way of OutKast — with some updated musical sensibilities. Deeply introspective and honest, Rashad adds a layer of artistic complexity and subtext much needed in the mainstream rap game with "Cilvia Demo."
Common might dismissively be called an old-schooler in this rap game but his stature looms large on the current hip-hop generation. With "Nobody's Smiling," the Windy City native reminds that even though he fashions himself as more of an actor than rapper these days, his lyrical skills haven't waned one iota. Forget about calling this conscious rap — Common serves us with a dose of reality sans moralizing in the face of senseless gun violence in America. The album features a stripped down, no-trend chasing vibe by way of production from No I.D. and overall represents one of Common's most satisfying releases in recent years.
Pow! With Run The Jewels "2," El-P and Killer Mike created a sonic boom of an album. "RTJ2" hits the ground running with an album that is equal parts irreverent and thought-provoking. The production is wildly on point and chemistry between the two emcees is undeniable, as is the complementary wordplay. Running under 40-minutes, it leaves you wanting more and is easily the top rap record of the year.
Going solo after fronting a million-selling band can be a tricky transition to make. But after the implosion of My Chemical Romance, Gerard Way emerged revitalized. Admitting a desire to “kind of re-boot Britpop in America,” Way looked to favourite acts like Pulp, Supergrass, Suede and Bowie (see the album cover) for inspiration. With its soaring, zestful choruses and glam-tinged production, 'Hesitant Alien' was just the ticket for Way following MCR’s dark final years. That it didn’t match the success of 'The Black Parade' is not only a shame but a real mystery.
It’s hard to believe that after 27 years of consistently making music, indie rock icon Dean Wareham was just now releasing his first ever solo album. Especially considering Luna broke up almost a decade ago. Produced by Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Wareham’s self-titled album exudes the grace, acerbity and subtlety we’ve come to expect from him over time. The guitar lines are clean and comfy, and Wareham is as soft and droll as ever, but this feels like the most personal account he’s ever given us.
The biggest oversight on this year’s Polaris Music Prize longlist was the absence of 'Fuck Off Get Free...' SMZ’s seventh album really felt like a bar had been raised – so where was the love? It feels wrong describing this as their most accessible album to date, but that’s what it is. The band’s weighty societal concerns feel even more impactful through the more direct vocals and such sprawling and feverish rock arrangements. These were” fight songs” worth fighting for.
Perhaps no album in 2013 was more overlooked than Protomartyr’s debut album, 'No Passion All Technique.' Their second album, 'Under Color of Official Right,' certainly received a bit of a boost, after signing to Hardly Art and receiving some Pitchfork praise, but nowhere near what it warranted. The Detroit band’s rigid, post-punk posture and working class ruminations recalls the Fall, but the songs are so much punchier and immediate. You wouldn’t expect this album to be full of hooks, but I’d argue the tandem of frontman Joe Casey and Greg Ahee’s buzzing riffs resonate as well as anything in the Top 40.
A string of releases through various labels earned Tampa’s Merchandise invaluable buzz, leading to a deal with 4AD. After The End wasn’t just their first album for a new label, it was their first with two new members and a more refined, pop sound. Go figure that the band’s shift towards a more radio-friendly sound that tips a hat to ’80s indie seemed to bring that buzz to a halt. Anyone who bailed on 'After The End' really missed out, because this was the moment where Carson Cox really hit his stride as a songwriter and producer.
On her first two albums, Jessica Lea Mayfield was a young, alt-country songstress under the wing of the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach. But for her third LP, she underwent a complete reinvention, dying her hair pink, ditching Auerbach and going full grunge. Maybe it isn’t what the 'No Depression' crowd wants, but her fusion of modern blues with effects-pedal-bleeding riffs provides much more nuance than her previous guise. If the ’90s really are in vogue like everyone says it is, 'Make My Head Sing…' is destined to become a cult classic in 2015.
The Manics have never received much respect and adoration in North America as they have in the UK. But their 12th album, 'Futurology,' was such a different album that it should’ve changed all that. Maybe it came to soon after 2013’s Rewind the Film? Maybe the 20th anniversary of their classic The Holy Bible was too much of a distraction? Audacious and diverse, the Manics threw Krautrock and disco into the mix, sounding more like a band in their first year, not their 28th.
For my money, Liars have been the most consistent act to arise from the early 2000s post-punk revival. Maybe the fact that they’ve lasted this long means it’s easy to take them for granted, but Mess continues to prove this band to be limitless. Pushing their use of electronics on 2012’s WIXIW even further, Mess is Liars channeling their label’s deep history (Cabaret Voltaire, Depeche Mode) to conduct more unbridled experiments and just have a ball. Like pretty much all of their previous releases, it’s one of their best.
As Foxes In Fiction, Toronto expat Warren Hildebrand quietly delivered 'Ontario Gothic,' an album immersed in the gravitas of his brother’s tragic death. The delicately whispered dream pop and limited-run physical release didn't exactly help it vie for attention from the masses. But the poignant, wistful found-sound collages, drenched in reverb and bolstered by Owen Pallett’s quixotic strings, affected anyone who spent time with it. Released via Hildebrand’s tiny, home-operated label in Brooklyn, it was just one of many titles on Orchard Tapes that deserved more love this year (see Alex G, Ricky Eat Acid and Mister Lies).
With his personal imprint PAX-AM, Ryan Adams has the freedom to do whatever he likes, and in 2014 he went on a real tear. And while most attention focused on his long-awaited self-titled album, it was the limited edition, ten-track 7” he released that raised more eyebrows. Described by Adams as paying “homage to the halcyon days of the earliest releases from Dischord, SST, Touch & Go and their ilk,” '1984' traded in his sombre alt-country for the blistering hardcore punk he cut his teeth on as a teenager. These 13 minutes are the most inspired he’s sounded in years.
A covers album? On a top ten list? Truth be told, you'd only be demanding answers if you haven't yet heard this extraordinary album from Todd Snider and a supergroup's worth of musicians from the jamband scene. Working with a crackerjack collection of tunes about working class America – Randy Newman's "Mr. President," Hayes Carll's "Stomp and Holler," Gillian Welch's "Wrecking Ball," and the Bottle Rockets' terrific "Welfare Music" among them – these intuitive musicians groove and roll underneath Snider and his friendly stranger's drawl. It all works perfectly, both as an assemblage of excellent songwriting and a surprisingly welcome marriage of East Nashville country and jamband grooves.
With this sophomore album produced by The Black Keys' Dan Auerbach, Nashville-based Nikki Lane sure has made one of the best sounding country records of the year. Auerbach's considerable skill at marrying sometimes-disparate genres and sonic approaches works to great effect on this album, a seductive record straddling the country-rock divide. Lane's songs are tough and unapologetic, and often thrilling so. She'll sing about the joys of casual sex with strangers, she'll admonish the wimps among us to 'man up,' and she'll paint a devastating portrait of a struggling marriage on album standout "Good Man." All the while she and Auerbach will find new and ever more delicious ways to surprise you.
A soft-spoken Texan with an ear for early 70s folkies and, surprisingly enough, progressive jazz, Ellis channels his diverse influences into this remarkable album. Although he has received a lot of well-earned attention for his countrified cover of Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years," it is far from the only thing worth enthusing about. Between clever observations like "TV Song" and "Houston" and starkly confessional works like the devastatingly lonesome "Tour Song," Ellis offers both range and vision. Come for this. But stay for the gentle twanging voice and the crack musicianship (especially the guitar work) that lifts this understated record above the pack.
One of the best live bands on the planet, this South Carolinian husband-and-wife duo has had a banner year. Celebrating their 2013 Americana Music Association award for best song, and racking up the accolades for their uncanny musical synergy at every turn, these snot-nosed punk-folkies hit an even higher watermark with "Swimmin' Time." Featuring the best album opener I heard this year with "The Devil Is All Around" and riding a riveting "water water everywhere but…" theme for all its worth, this ambitious album can't be denied.
At 24, Loveless has already spent almost half of her life on the road. A true wunderkind – her vocals are astonishing, but it's her songwriting that will knock you flat – Loveless offers a curious brand of country-inflected indie rock that is as crowd-pleasing as it is innovative. At once as clear-eyed as early Liz Phair and as moon-eyed as Stevie Nicks ("'Cause I went to a party and someone gave me some blow / Tears came right to my eyes / And the phone was right there / So I just thought I would call"), Loveless is eminently relatable. She's definitely cooler than you, but she’'s totally down for hanging out and talking heartbreak anyway. Plus, she sure can pick a song to cover – check out her triumphant country-pop take on Kristy MacColl's "They Don’t Know."
Canada's best singer-songwriter for the past few years, Paisley has been steadily building up an audience beyond fawning critics and colleagues. On this under-the-radar masterpiece (his third in a row) the honey-voiced troubadour moves effortlessly between country-rock, airy jazz, and Greenwich Village folk, calling back to the sounds that have inspired him, while pushing into what feels like fresh territory. As Garth Hudson's ghostly keyboards float around his luxuriously mellow, even sleepy, performances, the best songs here take on an otherworldly aspect. Timeless stuff, beautifully executed.
Offering radio-friendly country music with doses of heavy metal and '70s classic rock, this sure sounded like something new when it dropped back in February. But Eric Church has, for a superstar in run-with-the-pack Nashville, always been a bit of a wild card. His biggest hit to date was an ode to seeing Northern Democrat Bruce Springsteen at an outdoor show. He has sung about the inhumanity of the death penalty. He has happily chased down the third rail – southern white hip hop identity – and grabbed on tight. But on this tremendous album it isn't so much the lyrics that set him apart. It's the attitude. Snarling, raging, tough as an old truck, Church has found a whole new space for a Nashville artist to occupy.
One third of the alt-Nashville supergroup Pistol Annies (alongside Miranda Lambert), Presley has occupied the role of secret weapon in the singer-songwriter scene for a few years now. An incisive, politically-aware writer with an eagle eye for the perfect phrase, the hairpin turn that lifts a song from the familiar to the fabulous, this 38-year-old coal miner's daughter (for real!) is the one to watch. And here, on her wildly accomplished solo debut, Presley offers an intensive session in her craft. Few albums this year offered such biting portraits of income inequality, teen pregnancy, and drug abuse while never feeling preachy or vitriolic. No wonder Ron Sexsmith has sought her out as a collaborator.
Easily one of the best bands to ride the alt-country wave of the 1990s, Austin's Old 97s were pretty well unstoppable until about 2003 when their engines cooled. They've spent the past decade making pretty good (and sometimes pretty great) music, but there was always a certain fire missing from frontman Rhett Miller's lyrics, and a little too much predictability in his band's arrangements. They'd been partying and screwing and playing for decades and, basically, they were getting old. So, they decided to make an album about it. "Rock'n'roll been very very good to me," sings Miller on the bravura opening track, announcing both theme and tone. Shambling, rough-hewn performances and endlessly clever lyrics meet infectious melody and an atmosphere of utter abandon. You won't have much more fun with a record in 2014. Let's get drunk and get it on.
"Don't waste your mind on nursery rhymes, Or fairy tales of blood and wine," counsels Sturgill Simpson on the single best country song of the year. "It's turtles all the way down the line." Wait, did he just disparage Christianity in a country song? A destabilizing mash of Outlaw country (Simpson’s vocals and arrangements are Willie and Waylon and the boys all day long) and postmodern psychedelia, all bets would have had Simpson coming across as a talented anachronism. But from his winking album title on down, the 36-year-old Kentuckian anticipates (and then neatly disarms) our prejudices. Thoughtful, sinewy, trippy and playful in equal measure, nothing much sounded like Simpson in 2014. But now that he's moved the sticks, rest assured we'll see a legion of followers barreling down the field in years to come. Bring it.
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