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Best of 2014 - Broke With Expensive Taste - Azealia Banks

Best of 2014

Song: Soda
Artist: Azealia Banks
Album: Broke With Expensive Taste




My favorite album of 2014.

It was a long road to getting Azealia Banks' long-delayed debut album, and given the label issues, odd single choices, and her umm... difficult social media presence, it was a wonder we got Broke With Expensive Taste at all.  But even less likely it turned out as good as it did.

The young Harlem rapper with the seemingly wasted potential finally dropped a genre-hopping manifesto full of her filthy bravado, insane flow, and ear for a killer dance beat.  This record is non-stop amazing.

Broke really lived up to the promise of her amazing debut EP 1991, includes her most well known track "212," but also surprised with unknown layers of her talent both off-the-wall ("Nude Beach A-Go-Go") sonically ("Gimme a Chance," "Ice Princess") and most surprising, a level of personal, deeper, lyrical content as evident with the breathtaking "Soda."  I loved the girl, but didn't think she had that in her.

But that's always been the exciting thing with Azealia Banks; the element of the unknown.  Who knows where she's going to take us next, how she's going to challenge us next, or how she's going to thrill us next.  But I know she will.  Listen to this album NOW.



Enjoy.

Well that's all my favorite shit from 2014.  If you're on Spotify you should follow me!  And then you can hear my favorite albums of 2014 playlist, and favorite songs of 2014.  As always, enjoy.

Soda

Gimme a Chance

Wallace

Best of 2014 - Trouble in Paradise - La Roux

Best of 2014

Song: Sexotheque
Artist: La Roux
Album: Trouble in Paradise




Some things are worth the wait.

Five years after hitting the scene with their very successful self-titled debut, La Roux finally return with "their" sophomore album Trouble in Paradise.  It's a tight, short and very sweet, nine tracks of bubbling, catchy, and emotional electropop that reveal new pleasures both aural and emotional with each listen.  It's a better record than their debut, which is really saying something.

Trouble is a warmer record than the first record, and yet more mysterious.  Singer-songwriter Elly Jackson's lyrical obtuseness is retained here at points, adding to the mystery yet wrapped in super catchy little packages.  Just a fantastic record.



Enjoy.

Sexotheque

Uptight Downtown

Tropical Chancer

Best of 2014 - Ultraviolence - Lana Del Rey

Best of 2014

Song: Black Beauty
Artist: Lana Del Rey
Album: Ultraviolence




With her sophomore album Ultraviolence, Lana Del Rey proved to be the artist I thought she might be.  Her debut Born to Die was great, but Ultraviolence showed a new dimension to her songcraft and abilities at creating full, dramatic moods with honest emotion and storytelling prowess out of her Lynchian, Hipster death-spiral "Narco Swing."

Huh?  (Just listen to Ultraviolence.)



Ultraviolence casts such an enchanting spell I wonder how she can follow it up.  But then again, I couldn't have imagined Ultraviolence after Born to Die.  This is a special record, can't wait to hear what she does next.

Enjoy.

Black Beauty

Shades of Cool

Ultraviolence

Best of 2014 - Sirens - Gorgon City

Best of 2014

Song: Here For You
Artist: Gorgon City
Album: Sirens




After 2013 and the rise of Disclosure, this was the year that House went pop.   A lot was 90s influenced, and UK electronic group Clean Bandit scored a pretty big hit with singer Jess Glynne, the Pop-House smash "Rather Be."

As albums go, I really fell for production duo Gorgon City's debut Sirens.  It's a strong collection of catchy, radio-friendly House music with a slew of different vocalist keeping the song-cycle fresh.  The songwriting is really strong on this one, check it out.



Enjoy.

Here For You

Coming Home

Go All Night

Best of 2014 - Supernova - Ray LaMontagne

Best of 2014

Song: Drive-In Movies
Artist: Ray LaMontagne
Album: Supernova




It took a slight re-invention but in 2014 I finally "got" Ray LaMontagne.  A lauded folksy singer-songwriter since his early 2000's start, Supernova is the man's fifth studio album, and a bit of a 60s psychedelic soul departure from his typical straight-up country-tinged folk.  Produced by The Black Keys Dan Auerbach.

Supernova was my Summer album, played a lot while out of the city and reconnecting with my past, being with family, and dealing with mortality.  For that I may have elevated the album a bit given personal reasons, but it's also such a true look back musically, with the hooks and songwriting to match, it's hard to dislike.

Album-closer "Drive-In Movies" really summed up everything for me.  A punchy, jubilant track about tiny hometowns, dreaming of being an adult, and the fantasy of what that means with the acknowledgement of reality given time.  I did a lot of dreaming at drive-in movies my Dad took me to as a kid and this song really tied a lot of that together.  Great record.



Enjoy.

Drive-In Movies

Lavender

Supernova

Best of 2014 - Sucker - Charli XCX

Best of 2014

Song: Famous
Artist: Charli XCX
Album: Sucker




Charli's 2014 was like watching a friend get famous.  Well... okay that's a little overboard, but I've been following the young British singer for a while, championing her major label debut while few were paying attention, and then watching her become hook girl for the biggest song of the Summer, getting a hit of her own, and then releasing her fantastically bratty third album Sucker, which is non-stop amazing.  Proud tears.

While a seeming lyrical setback from True Romance, Sucker is an intentionally juvenile record taking it's cues from 80s-era guitar-driven pop-punk a-la Kim Wilde.  She even covers the Flying Lizard's version of "Money (That's What I Want)" as a bonus track.  The album is filled with upbeat, thrashy, pop tracks that nod to that bygone era while still keeping things modern.  "London Queen," "Breaking Up," and the title track really exemplify her aim with the record.

Repeated listens to Sucker reveal each track to be rather essential, from the catchy bombast of "Break the Rules" and the laid-back vibe of "Gold Coins," as well as the New Wavish upcoming single "Doing It" (which is adding Rita Ora for the single/video version) and the Weezer-biting "Hanging Around" that yes... includes writing and guitar work by Rivers Cuomo.  Fans of "Boom Clap" will find the big Summer single (originally from The Fault in Our Stars Soundtrack) and the similar "Caught in the Middle," also fantastic.  This girl can really write a hook.  [related, check out Aeroplane's excellent remix of "Boom Clap."]

Charli had mentioned she got a lot of pressure from her label to repeat the sound (and success) of her biggest hit she's written, Icona Pop's "I Love It," and while she rejected the assignment, I feel she does it (and tops it) with the brash, uber-catchy "Famous," my hands-down favorite track on the record.  I hope it becomes a single.

This is a high-profile pop record that's actually filled with youthful exuberance, and one even aging pop fans can bop to.  Dig dig dig.



Enjoy.

Famous

Breaking Up

Need Ur Luv

Best of 2014 - Tough Love - Jessie Ware

Best of 2014

Song: You & I (Forever)
Artist: Jessie Ware
Album: Tough Love




British R&B singer Jessie Ware avoided the sophomore slump this past year with an even better album than her fantastic debut.  Tough Love didn't go the more upbeat route as hinted by Devotion re-release single "Imagine it Was Us" hinted, the atmosphere remained the same but the songwriting got a little tighter with a stronger focus on each tracks melodies.  Still sexy as hell, just MORE.

Ware's vocal range is a highlight once again, but the production on Tough Love is also noteworthy, using a modern take on Prince's sexiest tracks and truly running with the "new Sade" comparisons by updating her lush, sensual vibe into something new.

Favorite tracks include singles "You & I (Forever)" and "Say You Love Me," which got an excellent remix from Gorgon City, as well as "Cruel," "Sweetest Song," and the opening title track.  But it's honestly good start-to-finish.



Enjoy.

You & I (Forever)

Say You Love Me

Cruel

Best of 2014 - Songs of Innocence - U2

Best of 2014

Song: Sleep Like a Baby Tonight
Artist: U2
Album: Songs of Innocence




One of the biggest head-scratchers of 2014 was the outrage U2 got for partnering with Apple and making their 13th studio album a "free gift" as part of the companies product-launch event in September.  Music fans felt "violated" when the album showed up in their iTunes "without consent" and musicians argued that U2 had "devalued music" by giving the album away for free, despite the reported $100 million they received from Apple for this "free gift.".

I really didn't get it.  It was... awesome.  And they one-upped Beyoncé to boot.

But all of that is inconsequential because Song of Innocence is the best record they've released in over a decade, leaving their last, the okay but U2-by-numbers No Line on the Horizon in the dust and mining more private, personal depths than they ever have before in their thirty-eight year history.  It feels like a rebirth of sorts but more importantly, it has some of the bands most crackling songs of their career.

The "rock" songs of Innocence also take some exciting turns in terms of production thanks in large part to Danger Mouse who handles the majority of the album's tracks (along with Flood and Ryan Tedder.)  The band sounds so alive on tracks like "Raised by Wolves" and "Volcano," and explore layered, creepy depths with the sinister "Sleep Like a Baby Tonight."

And yet if it's classic U2 you're looking for go no further than track two's "Every Breaking Wave," a gorgeous, BIG track about the difficulty of giving yourself completely to someone else.  It's the U2 the world fell in love with in the first place.

I tend to like an underdog so admit that the hate spewed at this record and the band may have influenced me a bit but ultimately, Song of Innocence has made me LOVE U2 again, something that hasn't happened since the early 00s.



Enjoy.

Sleep Like a Baby Tonight

Every Breaking Wave

Volcano

Best of 2014 - Quack - Duck Sauce

Best of 2014

Song: Ring Me
Artist: Duck Sauce
Album: Quack




It's been nearly five years since we heard "Barbra Streisand," a pretty long gestation period from debut single to album, yet A-Trak and Armand Van Helden of Duck Sauce have filled that time with singles and EP's all leading up to their debut album Quack, which was finally released this past April.  Disco samples, ravey synths, huge hooks, mildly irritating skits, and the sweat of New York City nightlife nostalgia are all over this off-the-wall album.  It's a non-stop party record and one of the most fun of the past year.

Despite the head-scratching omission of some singles ("Big Bad Wolf") and great EP cuts ("Louie the First"), Quack rounded itself out with some killer new tracks which sure made the wait seem worth it.  From the one-two punch of openers "Chariots of the Gods" and "Charlie Chazz & Rappin Ralph," to the disco-sample heaven of my two favorite tracks "Goody Two Shoes" and "Ring Me," Quack delivered.

Party record of the year for sure.



Enjoy.

Ring Me

Goody Two Shoes

It's You

Best of 2014 - The Voyager - Jenny Lewis

Best of 2014

Song: She's Not Me
Artist: Jenny Lewis
Album: The Voyager




After loving her solo debut and the last Rilo Kiley record Under the Blacklight, I had a bit of a drought with loving Jenny Lewis.  Her sophomore solo record Acid Tongue didn't grab me and neither did 2010's I'm Having Fun Now with boyfriend Johnathan Rice under the name Jenny & Johnny.  So it was quite the nice surprise, after several years off from recording, that Lewis returned with The Voyager, a return to the Fleetwood Mac, Southern California guitar-pop that seems meant for her.

The Voyager is a great record, a return to form, and possibly her best work yet.  Lewis works mature, pushing-forty themes with an upbeat sound that's enjoyable yet thought-provoking.  One of my absolute favorite records of the year.

The Voyager wrestled with Beck's Morning Phase as tenth favorite album on my list, which you can find on my Best Albums 2014 list, which will be complete at the end of next week:



Enjoy.

She's Not Me

Head Underwater

Just One of the Guys

Living for Love - Madonna

Song: Living for Love

Artist: Madonna
Album: Rebel Heart




We take a little break from the 'Best of 2014' posts for a surprise... new Madonna!

Just days after thirteen demo's found their way online (from a supposed hacking of rumored now former Executive-Producer Avicii's laptop) Madonna gives us a Saturday AM surprise with the first single from her thirteenth album Rebel Heart that comes with no less than five instant grat tracks when you pre-order on iTunes.

Rebel Heart is coming in March and is a nineteen-track monster.  The new songs hold a lot of promise for the record.  Very exciting.

First single "Living for Love," which was set to be released in February prior to the leak, is a gospel-tinged disco soarer with Alicia Keys on piano.  It recalls "Like a Prayer," a little Cher, and oddly... "Born This Way."  It's great.

L-U-V Madonna!

Enjoy.

Living for Love

Best of 2014 - I Try to Talk to You (feat. John Grant) - Hercules & Love Affair

Best of 2014

Song: I Try to Talk to You (feat. John Grant)
Artist: Hercules & Love Affair
Album: The Feast of the Broken Heart




Another semi-disappointment of an album, filled with a couple great tracks (including first single "Do You Feel the Same?", "Liberty") and one stellar, best of the year shit...

"I Try to Talk to You," featuring the sexy croon of John Grant mixed with a persistent House beat and some beautifully grand piano tickling... it's gorgeous.  A seeming tale of lost love and the frustrations that come when you know the outcome wasn't necessary, further delving reveals a much more inward song, one that Grant has said is about him being diagnosed with HIV.  It packs quite an emotional punch.

I've always liked Hercules & Love Affair, DJ Andy Butler's rotating cast of singers and musicians which have switched up on every album.  The Feast of the Broken Heart is probably the least effective of his three releases for me, but it's certainly worth a listen.  It's great party music.

But "I Try to Talk to You" is the one, and one of my favorite songs of the year.



Enjoy.

I Try to Talk to You (feat. John Grant)

Do You Feel the Same? (feat. Gustaph)

Liberty (feat. John Grant)

Best of 2014 - Style - Taylor Swift

Best of 2014

Song: Style
Artist: Taylor Swift
Album: 1989




Fine.  I give.

The album doesn't do much for me but this song is really strong.  Very M83.

Though you won't find it on my Best of Playlist...



It's also not on YouTube.

Best of 2014 - Take Me - RÜFÜS DU SOL

Best of 2014

Song: Take Me
Artist: RÜFÜS / RÜFÜS DU SOL
Album: Atlas




Technically this album came out, in Australia, in 2013 but wasn't internationally distributed until this year.  But it was one of my favorite's of the year.

The Australian band is known as "RÜFÜS DU SOL" here in America, and their debut album Atlas is listed as such in the 2014 release, and adds a "Night Version" of "We Left" from their 2011 Blue E.P.

RÜFÜS sound quite a lot like Cut Copy with a smaller marketing budget.  Atlas is a tight little album of dreamy/catchy electro-pop that's good from start to finish, though the first six tracks are remarkably stellar.

I feel like we should have heard more about them this year.

Listen to Atlas.



Enjoy.

Take Me

Desert Night

Sundream

Best of 2014 - No Enemiesz - Kiesza

Best of 2014

Song: No Enemiesz
Artist: Kiesza
Album: Sound of a Woman




It's that time of the year!  We're going to round up our favorite tracks and albums of the year, starting with some great tracks that were not highlighted over the year...

For me, Canadian singer, songwriter, and dancer Kiesza had THE single of the year with the infectious throwback "Hideaway."  Repeated views of the excellent single-take music video (see below) and subsequent EP made me wonder if a potential superstar was in the making.  "Hideaway" was part of a 90s House resurgence in 2014, and Kiesza's entire esthetique, from the dance moves to the acid-washed jeans was a nod to the decade.

When I first heard single "No Enemiesz," which was released right before the album, I had convinced myself that it was her "Poker Face," and we were about to see this girl really explode.  Well, that didn't happen and the debut album, Sound of a Woman, despite housing some corkers... was a bit of a letdown.  But Kiesza was still responsible for some of my favorite songs of the year, and "No Enemiesz" should have been bigger.  Check it out on our WeCastMusic - Best Songs of 2014 playlist, which will be growing and fleshed out over the next couple weeks into the New Year.



Enjoy!

No Enemiesz

Hideaway

Giant in My Heart

Afroki - Steve Aoki (feat. Afrojack & Bonnie McKee)

Song: Afroki (feat. Afrojack & Bonnie McKee)

Artist: Steve Aoki
Album: Neon Future 1




One of the guys that helped define the "EDM" genre, Steve Aoki, released his second full-length album in September.  Neon Future 1 is the first of two volumes (second coming in 2015) and while it sounds just like what you'd expect from the genre, it also takes on the belief of a higher human consciousness that will happen in the future.  (mild eye-roll) But it's also really built for these big room, where's Molly? kind of evenings.  Dig.

I can't say I'm a big Steve Aoki fan, though his track "Beat Down" is one of my favorite ever Iggy Azealea moments.  I really checked out Neon Future 1 as he collaborated with pop hopeful and songwriting behemoth Bonnie McKee, the girl that basically made Katy Perry a superstar. (Or at least gave her the tunes.)

I had a lot of hope that Bonnie was going to really explode in 2014, despite her two 2013 singles "American Girl" and "Sleepwalker" not really taking off.  Maybe that was enough to scare her back to the drawing board.  Dunno.  Shame really.

So the only new Bonnie we got this year was a collab with Afrojack and Steve Aoki called "Afroki" (I mean, she's credited as the main songwriter and can't even get in on the title of the track?) that's on Neon Future 1.  And I have to say, it's the one stand-out track due of course... to Ms. McKee.  And yet, out of the five singles from the album... it's not one of them.

It's really some straight-up EDM but I like this track, and should hype you for the weekend.  It's "big" as the kids like to say.



Enjoy.

Afroki

Born to Get Wild (feat. Will.I.Am)

Free the Madness (feat. Machine Gun Kelly)

Games - Claire

Song: Games

Artist: CLAIRE
Album: The Great Escape




Friend and reader Luis introduces us to CLAIRE, a German electro-pop five-piece from Munich.  Initially formed for a one-off film project, Producers Matthias Hauck, Heller Nepomuk, and Florian Kiermaier found singer Josie-Claire Buerkle after her participation in a show called The Voice of Germany in 2011.  They continued as a band after the film project and released two EP's, their second including their most well-known track "Games."

"Games" is included on their debut album The Great Escape, which came out in September of last year.  They have a great, often times sexy electro sound that's right up my alley.



Enjoy.

Games

Pioneers

Broken Promise Land

Borderline - Tove Styrke

Song: Borderline

Artist: Tove Styrke
Album: Borderline EP




Another EP from a European dance pop artist...

Swedish singer-songwriter Tove Styrke has been out of the limelight a bit, but is gearing up for a bit return starting with a new EP and a forthcoming sophomore album, her American debut early next year.

I first heard of the former Swedish Idol contestant in early 2012 with her incredible electro-pop track "Call My Name," a song I still bop to.  I'm loving the laid-back reggae vibe of current single "Borderline," as well as the erratic "Even if I'm Loud it Doesn't Mean I'm Talking to You."

Check her out.



Enjoy.

Borderline

Even if I'm Loud it Doesn't Mean I'm Talking to You

Heroine - Little Boots

Song: Heroine

Artist: Little Boots
Album: Business Pleasure EP




After a long delay between her debut and last year's excellent sophomore return, Nocturnes, Little Boots (Victoria Christina HesKeth) seems to be making up for lost time.  She's just released a new EP of new tracks called Business Pleasure and has already announced her third album for next year.  All amazing news.

The frelease from the EP, "Taste It" is an odd choice for a single, but has a great little video. (See below.)  I am LOVING track two though; "Heroine."  It's a sweeping, transcendental, sexy track that immediately gets to you.  Also digging the title track and closer, "Pretty Tough."

A solid effort.



Enjoy.

Heroine

Taste It

Pretty Tough

Dangerous (feat. Sam Martin) - David Guetta

Song: Dangerous (feat. Sam Martin)

Artist: David Guetta
Album: Listen




I think the Club-Pop bubble is about to burst.

David Guetta has just released his sixth album Listen and while it's not exactly more of the same from the king of the drop, it's not all that inspired either.

BUT, I really really like current single "Dangerous" featuring vocals by Sam Martin.  Check it out.  Good weekend song.



Enjoy.

Dangerous