As 2014 wraps up, I’m just going to go ahead and say what I’ve been thinking all year long: this year was the worst. I mean, it was seriously really awful. My 2014 was filled with everything I hate, which includes, but is not limited to, the death of my bulldog, a car accident and the dropping of coyote guts in a hot dog shop’s parking lot, a trip to the hospital, a lot of heartache, stress that gave me an ulcer and made my hair turn super gray, some more heartache, angst that couldn’t be taken out on the roller derby track, the flu (twice), and even more really devastating heartache. I mean, up until two weeks ago, I wasn’t even sure I’d still have roller derby in my life anymore — ever. But really, that’s not what this post is about. It’s about the music that got me through 12 months of craptastic crap.
Each year, I anxiously await end of year lists to see what I’ve missed or what I agree with. I usually wait for my friend Herman to talk about his favorites, but he was barely even motivated to make his list. But I eventually convinced him to share his list with me, and fortunately it’s filled with things I haven’t heard. So I’m including his list mostly for me — and honestly, so I can share it with my dear friend Brian, who I’m still working on convincing we should start a Kills-like band together — and so I can go back and think about 2014 with fresh music that will keep my mind off of how much I hated this year. With that said, here’s what I was into:
MY LEADING LADIES
It’s true that 2014 was a year for many of the ladies in my life. FOUR of my eight girl crushes released new albums that year (!!!). And let’s be honest: much more than this and my head would have exploded clean off of my neck. What’s particularly sad about this awesome thing, though, is that now these songs are associated with some really wretched moments in my life. My very worst truth in life right now is that Karen O’s solo album is forever ruined. Probably, anyway. I may just hang that record on my wall and pretend I never opened it. Still, this is what was, without a doubt, in heaviest rotation in 2014:
St. Vincent, St. Vincent
Jenny Lewis, The Voyager
My Brightest Diamond, This is My Hand
The Dum Dum Girls, Too True
Karen O, Crush Songs
EVERYONE ELSE
I was starting to forget what else came out, or maybe I just shoved them to the back of my head because, well, Jack White makes my stomach churn right now and to be honest, I didn’t listen much to the Black Keys or Beck or really much beyond the albums I’ve already listed.
Fortunately I’m wrapping my arms around alt-J’s This is All Yours. And TV on the Radio’s Seeds? Ooh. That was worth the $30 vinyl sticker price and extra two week wait.
As we venture into 2015, I’ll leave you with the sexy sounds one of Herman’s and my favorite discoveries of 2014: Mothxr, featuring Penn Badgley and sexy sax. Nom.
***
HERMAN’S LIST
compiled for Melody. I search for “2014” on my drive and these are the ones that stood out.
* = for utter love.
Actress // Ghettoville *
Alvvays // Alvvays
Angel Olsen // Burn Your Fire For No Witness
autumna // man-made concepts *
Beck // Morning Phase
The Black Dog // Sounds Of Sheffiield Vol 3 EP
Bonobo // Ten Tigers single, cuz of that Maya Jane Cole remix of First Fires
Burnt Friedman w/ Daniel Dodd-Ellis // Cease To Matter
Chad VanGaalen // Shrink Dust
Chet Faker // Built On Glass
Clark // Clark *
Cub // CU (re-issue)
Deru // 1979 *
Goat // Commune
Hundred Waters // The Moon Rang Like A Bell
Jennifer Castle // Pink City
Jon Hopkins // Sleep Version EP
Kina Grannis // Elements
Kyle Bobby Dunn // Kyle Bobby Dunn & The Infinite Sadness
Liars // Mess
Marissa Nadler // July *
Mike Dehnert // Lichtbedingt
Neneh Cherry // Blank Project
The Notwist // Cose To The Grass *
Pete Richardson // Image Of Weaknes *
Piiptsjilling // Molkedrippen
Pixies // Indie Cindy
Prince // Art Official Age
Röyksopp & Robyn // Do It Again EP *
Shabazz Palaces // Lese Majesty *
St. Vincent // St. Vincent *
Sun Kill Moon // Benji *
Thee Oh Sees // Drop
To Rococo Rot // Instrument *
Drvg Cvltvre // American Psychosis EP
Banks // Goddess
Ty Segall // Manipulator *
Damien Rice // My Favourite Faded Fantasy
Ray LaMontagne // Supernova
King Creosote // From Scotland With Love
