It's probably a bit late, but the first part of my albums of the year list is here! Check it out below the break--every album has a link to a stream of either my favorite song off of it or the full record, so please check them out and let me know what you think!
100. Bad Suns - 'Language & Perspective'
Genre: Indie Pop
Country of Origin: USA
Aside from the jaw-droppingly incredible video for 'Salt' (which you all need to go watch this fucking second), Language & Perspective is just such a smooth album. It takes a few minutes to grow on you, but by the end of the debut record from Bad Suns, their infectious brand of only-slightly '80s-inspired indie pop will have worked its way into your brain like little else in the genre. Bad Suns throw bouncy basslines, clean guitars, driving drums, and powerful vocals together and mix it all up into exactly the kind of music that you need to listen to while going on a bike ride on a morning just as the fog burns off. Every track on Language & Perspective has one of those moments that makes you sit up and listen, and every chorus is so perfectly crafted to stay in your head for hours. And even if you're not an indie pop fan, there's still always that damn music video.
Top tracks: Salt; We Move Like the Ocean
Preview.
Aside from the jaw-droppingly incredible video for 'Salt' (which you all need to go watch this fucking second), Language & Perspective is just such a smooth album. It takes a few minutes to grow on you, but by the end of the debut record from Bad Suns, their infectious brand of only-slightly '80s-inspired indie pop will have worked its way into your brain like little else in the genre. Bad Suns throw bouncy basslines, clean guitars, driving drums, and powerful vocals together and mix it all up into exactly the kind of music that you need to listen to while going on a bike ride on a morning just as the fog burns off. Every track on Language & Perspective has one of those moments that makes you sit up and listen, and every chorus is so perfectly crafted to stay in your head for hours. And even if you're not an indie pop fan, there's still always that damn music video.
Top tracks: Salt; We Move Like the Ocean
Preview.
99. きゃりーぱみゅぱみゅ - 'ピカピカふぁんたじん'
Kyary Pamyu Pamyu - 'Pika Pika Fantajin'
Genre: J-Pop
Country of Origin: Japan
I'm not gonna lie, I haven't been following Kyary as faithfully as I used to. Despite my extensive guilt over it, the fact that I'm no longer religiously rewatching each video she releases until I have them memorized (like I did in the pre-full-length era) means that I get to treat her annual records as more of a treat to come back to and be impressed by after months away. Pika Pika Fantajin isn't the revelation that Pamyu Pamyu Revolution was, but it hardly matters--Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is still teaming up with legendary producer Yasutaka Nakata to make some of the most purely exciting music around, and listening to literally any song she's made is proof that this girl knows what she's doing. Kyary's third full-length, while not quite as memorable as the first two, makes up for it with a refreshing level of variety, spanning a nice fistful of styles and remaining thoroughly enjoyable throughout. This is one of those records that you just can't be sad while listening to, and that's praise that's hard to top.
Top tracks: ゆめのはじまりんりん; もったいないとらんど
Preview.
I'm not gonna lie, I haven't been following Kyary as faithfully as I used to. Despite my extensive guilt over it, the fact that I'm no longer religiously rewatching each video she releases until I have them memorized (like I did in the pre-full-length era) means that I get to treat her annual records as more of a treat to come back to and be impressed by after months away. Pika Pika Fantajin isn't the revelation that Pamyu Pamyu Revolution was, but it hardly matters--Kyary Pamyu Pamyu is still teaming up with legendary producer Yasutaka Nakata to make some of the most purely exciting music around, and listening to literally any song she's made is proof that this girl knows what she's doing. Kyary's third full-length, while not quite as memorable as the first two, makes up for it with a refreshing level of variety, spanning a nice fistful of styles and remaining thoroughly enjoyable throughout. This is one of those records that you just can't be sad while listening to, and that's praise that's hard to top.
Top tracks: ゆめのはじまりんりん; もったいないとらんど
Preview.
98. Stars - 'No One Is Lost'
Genre: Indie Pop
Country of Origin: Canada
Ever since their third album, Set Yourself On Fire, Stars have been chasing the kind of magic they made back in 2005. And even though they haven't quite gotten there yet, No One Is Lost gets damn close. Filled with mournful male-female dual vocals, subtle synths and beautiful guitar lines, Stars' seventh full length is effecting and nostalgic in all the right ways. Melodies and textures weave in and out of the eleven wonderful, laid-back, '80s-tinged tracks of No One Is Lost, and whether or not it's channeling sorrow, joy, or nostalgia, Stars nail every moment just right on their 2014 effort. This record is a quiet reminder of why we fawned over the band so much in the last decade, and a simple nod forward to what's to come.
Top tracks: From the Night; No One Is Lost
Preview.
Ever since their third album, Set Yourself On Fire, Stars have been chasing the kind of magic they made back in 2005. And even though they haven't quite gotten there yet, No One Is Lost gets damn close. Filled with mournful male-female dual vocals, subtle synths and beautiful guitar lines, Stars' seventh full length is effecting and nostalgic in all the right ways. Melodies and textures weave in and out of the eleven wonderful, laid-back, '80s-tinged tracks of No One Is Lost, and whether or not it's channeling sorrow, joy, or nostalgia, Stars nail every moment just right on their 2014 effort. This record is a quiet reminder of why we fawned over the band so much in the last decade, and a simple nod forward to what's to come.
Top tracks: From the Night; No One Is Lost
Preview.
97. Aphex Twin - 'Syro'
Genre: Acid/IDM/Electronic
Country of Origin: Scotland
Syro is an album of such monumental importance it's hard to honestly discuss it in a vacuum. This is the first full-length all-new album by Aphex Twin in thirteen years. The first album in thirteen whole years from the godfather of "IDM," whatever the hell that means. Aphex Twin is such a huge name that just the fact that this is a new album by him is probably enough to land it on this list. It helps that it's really dang good though. Syro certainly doesn't reach the heights of ambient beauty that Aphex Twin's most celebrated works do, but that's honestly alright because it's just such a fun album. This record is a catchy mess of blip-blooping synths and energetic beats, twelve tracks of finely-tuned acid techno from the master himself. Syro is a difficult album to put down, and one of the most purely enjoyable listens to come out of a musician typically so stuck in his head.
Syro is an album of such monumental importance it's hard to honestly discuss it in a vacuum. This is the first full-length all-new album by Aphex Twin in thirteen years. The first album in thirteen whole years from the godfather of "IDM," whatever the hell that means. Aphex Twin is such a huge name that just the fact that this is a new album by him is probably enough to land it on this list. It helps that it's really dang good though. Syro certainly doesn't reach the heights of ambient beauty that Aphex Twin's most celebrated works do, but that's honestly alright because it's just such a fun album. This record is a catchy mess of blip-blooping synths and energetic beats, twelve tracks of finely-tuned acid techno from the master himself. Syro is a difficult album to put down, and one of the most purely enjoyable listens to come out of a musician typically so stuck in his head.
96. Girls' Generation-TTS - 'Holler'
Genre: K-Pop
Country of Origin: South Korea
On their first EP, TTS (a sub-unit of Girls' Generation comprised of members Taeyeon, Tiffany, and Seohyun) put out a series of groovy funk-throwbacks that continued the excellent songwriting and pop hooks of their main group while still separating themselves from the full nine-member SNSD. Now, two and a half years later, just before the huge commotion surrounding the departure of main group member Jessica erupted, TTS put out their second mini-album, and it's simply a sublime listen. Continuing their old-school pop sound, full of blaring horns and slap bass, Holler is fun in all the right ways. The title track is a big, forward-moving piece of funky pop gold, and elsewhere the trio work in heartfelt ballads and smooth semi-bangers, not wasting a second of the six songs on display here. Holler is a quietly fun polite reminder of why SNSD are the biggest k-pop group around--this is just three of their members and it's still this ridiculously strong.
Top tracks: Holler; Stay
Preview.
Top tracks: Holler; Stay
Preview.
95. Trust - 'Joyland'
Genre: Goth Electronic/Darkwave
Country of Origin: Canada
Trust's debut album back in 2012 was such a monument of goth electronic music it's just about impossible to overstate how good it is. After one half of the duo left, however, Trust's future was uncertain, and, to be fair, Joyland certainly isn't the masterpiece that TRST was. That doesn't mean that it's not still an absolutely sublime slab of dark electronic music with Robert Alfons' bizarre voice over the top of it though. Every moment of Trust's sophomore LP is filled with throbbing synths and eerie vocals, each track dripping with ethereal creepiness built on top of huge, memorable beats. Joyland is a healthy reminder that goth electronic music is alive and well, and we all should be listening.
Top tracks: Capitol; Are We Arc?
Preview.
Trust's debut album back in 2012 was such a monument of goth electronic music it's just about impossible to overstate how good it is. After one half of the duo left, however, Trust's future was uncertain, and, to be fair, Joyland certainly isn't the masterpiece that TRST was. That doesn't mean that it's not still an absolutely sublime slab of dark electronic music with Robert Alfons' bizarre voice over the top of it though. Every moment of Trust's sophomore LP is filled with throbbing synths and eerie vocals, each track dripping with ethereal creepiness built on top of huge, memorable beats. Joyland is a healthy reminder that goth electronic music is alive and well, and we all should be listening.
Top tracks: Capitol; Are We Arc?
Preview.
94. Crying - 'Get Olde'
Genre: Chiptune
Country of Origin: USA
Crying make perfect music. It might not be the most impressive or revelatory stuff out there, but Get Olde just does everything right. The sad vocals, the simple drums, the awesome bleepy chip leads, this album is just a joy from start to finish. And at seven short tracks (13 on the rerelease), it's an album that can be easily listened through dozens of times a day--and trust me, you'll want to. There's a lot of take in through Get Olde's 15-minute runtime, but it's just such a visceral joy to listen through that you'll be glad for the opportunity to give it another spin.
Crying make perfect music. It might not be the most impressive or revelatory stuff out there, but Get Olde just does everything right. The sad vocals, the simple drums, the awesome bleepy chip leads, this album is just a joy from start to finish. And at seven short tracks (13 on the rerelease), it's an album that can be easily listened through dozens of times a day--and trust me, you'll want to. There's a lot of take in through Get Olde's 15-minute runtime, but it's just such a visceral joy to listen through that you'll be glad for the opportunity to give it another spin.
93. Orcas - 'Yearling'
Genre: Ambient/Dreampop
Country of Origin: USA
Orcas' debut album was just ridiculous. A perfect storm of eerie, sorrowful, and immensely subtle works of ambient beauty mixed with beautiful vocals and drifting melodies, it was the kind of record that was nearly impossible to imagine a follow-up to. And in all honesty, Yearling isn't quite the monument to semi-ambient perfection that its predecessor was, but the honest fact is that this is more Orcas and the world needs more of this band. And that doesn't change the fact that Yearling is still a stunning accomplishment for any band, let alone one this new--this record is dripping with glaciel beauty and glorious production, and is one of the most wonderfully calming albums of the year.
Orcas' debut album was just ridiculous. A perfect storm of eerie, sorrowful, and immensely subtle works of ambient beauty mixed with beautiful vocals and drifting melodies, it was the kind of record that was nearly impossible to imagine a follow-up to. And in all honesty, Yearling isn't quite the monument to semi-ambient perfection that its predecessor was, but the honest fact is that this is more Orcas and the world needs more of this band. And that doesn't change the fact that Yearling is still a stunning accomplishment for any band, let alone one this new--this record is dripping with glaciel beauty and glorious production, and is one of the most wonderfully calming albums of the year.
92. Sylvan Esso - 'Sylvan Esso'
Genre: Downtempo Electronic/Futurepop
Country of Origin: USA
Sylvan Esso's debut full-length is a strange beast. It's beautiful and catchy without being obvious or poppy. Instead, Sylvan Esso works in simple, minimalistic beats and synths courtesy of Nick Sanborn with Amelia Meath's voice deftly weaving in and out of the instrumentals. The record is abstract and rhythmic, and despite its largely electronic bent, is one of the most human albums to come out this year. Sylvan Esso is simple and powerful in its hushed wonder, and not something to missed by any music fan out there.
Sylvan Esso's debut full-length is a strange beast. It's beautiful and catchy without being obvious or poppy. Instead, Sylvan Esso works in simple, minimalistic beats and synths courtesy of Nick Sanborn with Amelia Meath's voice deftly weaving in and out of the instrumentals. The record is abstract and rhythmic, and despite its largely electronic bent, is one of the most human albums to come out this year. Sylvan Esso is simple and powerful in its hushed wonder, and not something to missed by any music fan out there.
91. Spooky Black - 'Leaving'
Genre: Lo-Fi R&B/Sad Ambient Pop
Country of Origin: USA
Spooky Black (AKA Lil Spook) makes some of the most lush music possible, given how lo-fi his work is. His second release of the year, Leaving, might be his best yet too--the EP is made up of simple acoustic guitar licks, minimal beats, and beautiful washed out vocals. All of Leaving is drenched in reverb, full of beautiful melodies and wondrous ambient atmosphere. The easiest comparison to make here is to How to Dress Well, but Spooky Black honestly forms his own identity really successfully with his ethereal hip-hop production and laid-back singing. Overall, Leaving is just a phenomenal record and a must-listen for anyone who likes lo-fi R&B music, and a peek at what is hopefully a bright future for a relatively new name in the scene.
Top tracks: pull; intro
Listen.
Spooky Black (AKA Lil Spook) makes some of the most lush music possible, given how lo-fi his work is. His second release of the year, Leaving, might be his best yet too--the EP is made up of simple acoustic guitar licks, minimal beats, and beautiful washed out vocals. All of Leaving is drenched in reverb, full of beautiful melodies and wondrous ambient atmosphere. The easiest comparison to make here is to How to Dress Well, but Spooky Black honestly forms his own identity really successfully with his ethereal hip-hop production and laid-back singing. Overall, Leaving is just a phenomenal record and a must-listen for anyone who likes lo-fi R&B music, and a peek at what is hopefully a bright future for a relatively new name in the scene.
Top tracks: pull; intro
Listen.
90. J. Cole - '2014 Forest Hills Drive'
Genre: Rap
Country of Origin: USA
Last year's Born Sinner was so huge and so thoroughly built for success it was hard to imagine what J. Cole would follow it up with, but 2014 Forest Hills Drive takes his already honed style and matures it just the right amount to create an engrossing and impressive hip-hop album. J. Cole's third full-length is an hour of heavy, downtempo tracks built off of simple beats and tense storytelling, from Cole's loss of virginity to his road out of drug dealing, 2014 Forest Hills Drive is an eerie look back at where Cole's life could have gone wrong, and a stone-faced celebration of the maturity and strength he has now. It's easy to compare to good kid, m.A.A.d. city from 2012, but honestly it's a lot more straightforward than that--this is just a great rap album telling a great story, nothing more, nothing less.
Top tracks: January 28th; 03' Adolescence
Preview.
Top tracks: January 28th; 03' Adolescence
Preview.
89. MØ - 'No Mythologies To Follow'
Genre: Futurepop
Country of Origin: Denmark
MØ's debut album is such a massive breath of fresh air for a genre that could always use new faces. I suppose her closest analogue would be Purity Ring, but MØ takes her brand of futurepop in a less witchy, more weighty direction. No Mythologies To Follow exudes confidence in its hefty beats, thick synth hits, and MØ's powerful voice ringing out over it all. This is all the intricacy and inventiveness of futurepop but with all the strut of the pop queens of the world. How a pop debut can be this huge and blinding is something I still haven't quite made sense of, but the fact remains that No Mythologies To Follow is the sound of a promising career starting off with a huge, heavy, catchy bang.
Top tracks: Waste of Time; Fire RidesGenre: Futurepop
Country of Origin: Denmark
MØ's debut album is such a massive breath of fresh air for a genre that could always use new faces. I suppose her closest analogue would be Purity Ring, but MØ takes her brand of futurepop in a less witchy, more weighty direction. No Mythologies To Follow exudes confidence in its hefty beats, thick synth hits, and MØ's powerful voice ringing out over it all. This is all the intricacy and inventiveness of futurepop but with all the strut of the pop queens of the world. How a pop debut can be this huge and blinding is something I still haven't quite made sense of, but the fact remains that No Mythologies To Follow is the sound of a promising career starting off with a huge, heavy, catchy bang.
Preview.
88. Wildbirds & Peacedrums - 'Rhythm'
Genre: Experimental Percussive Indie Pop
Country of Origin: Sweden
Husband-and-wife duo Wildbirds & Peacedrums' newest album couldn't be better titled. Aside from the occasional bassline, Rhythm is literally nothing more than percussion and vocals. Of course, this isn't news to returning fans of the group, but that doesn't make Rhythm any less impressive--as Mariam Wallentin's voice calls out over some of the most impressive, catchy, and interesting drumming of the year, it's hard not to be floored by how memorable and expressive these songs manage to be with such minimal melodic capabilities. The inventive drumming and passionate singing meld together in such a way that you won't even miss the traditional instrumentation, and just about every moment of Rhythm is a joyful ride through some of the most unique and exciting indie music to come out this year.
Top tracks: The Offbeat; Who I Was
Husband-and-wife duo Wildbirds & Peacedrums' newest album couldn't be better titled. Aside from the occasional bassline, Rhythm is literally nothing more than percussion and vocals. Of course, this isn't news to returning fans of the group, but that doesn't make Rhythm any less impressive--as Mariam Wallentin's voice calls out over some of the most impressive, catchy, and interesting drumming of the year, it's hard not to be floored by how memorable and expressive these songs manage to be with such minimal melodic capabilities. The inventive drumming and passionate singing meld together in such a way that you won't even miss the traditional instrumentation, and just about every moment of Rhythm is a joyful ride through some of the most unique and exciting indie music to come out this year.
Top tracks: The Offbeat; Who I Was
87. Astronauts - 'Hollow Ponds'
Genre: Singer-Songwriter/Dark Folk
Country of Origin: England
Dan Carney's first solo record is a slow, sad affair. Conceived while he was laid up in a hospital prior to surgery on his leg, Hollow Ponds is a beautiful acoustic album of deeply introspective songs. Most easily compared to Elliott Smith and Kevin Devine, Carney's thin voice sits perfectly atop the record's simple instrumentation and allows for the brilliant lyrics and sorrowful melodies to come into their own. Hollow Ponds broils with an eerie sense of abandonment, slowly shifting from simple folk tracks into more expansive, threatening pieces (such as the title track), but it never loses its focus, and every moment of the record feels necessary and expertly crafted. Astronauts has made one of the year's most charming and deceptively complex singer-songwriter albums, and hopefully there's a lot more to come.
Top tracks: Flame Exchange; Hollow Ponds
Preview.
Top tracks: Flame Exchange; Hollow Ponds
Preview.
86. First Aid Kit - 'Stay Gold'
Genre: Folk
Country of Origin: Sweden
Johana and Klara Söderberg make some of the purest folk music out there, and their third album simply drips with beautiful, melancholy harmonies. Acoustic guitars, aching strings, and subtle drums perfect complement the sisters' voices to build an album of simple folk perfection. The songs of Stay Gold are alternately mournful and joyous, but every second of it feels so straight-from-the-heart that it's nearly impossible to deny. First Aid Kit don't hide anything below the surface of their music, instead giving simple what you see is what you get beauty, and it works so well. Every second of Stay Gold is filled with sun-soaked fields and flower crowns, and it never wears thin. This record is like wrapping yourself in a warm heated blanket that you never want to leave.
Johana and Klara Söderberg make some of the purest folk music out there, and their third album simply drips with beautiful, melancholy harmonies. Acoustic guitars, aching strings, and subtle drums perfect complement the sisters' voices to build an album of simple folk perfection. The songs of Stay Gold are alternately mournful and joyous, but every second of it feels so straight-from-the-heart that it's nearly impossible to deny. First Aid Kit don't hide anything below the surface of their music, instead giving simple what you see is what you get beauty, and it works so well. Every second of Stay Gold is filled with sun-soaked fields and flower crowns, and it never wears thin. This record is like wrapping yourself in a warm heated blanket that you never want to leave.
Top tracks: My Silver Lining; Shattered & Hollow
85. Ai Aso - 'Lone'
Genre: Acid Folk/Singer-Songwriter
Country of Origin: Japan
Ai Aso makes weird, supremely minimal folk music that's hard not to love. On her latest album, we're treated to seven live performances of her sorrowful, unique style of singer-songwriter beauty. Ai Aso's voice is accompanied by either a single clean guitar or a simple synth line, instead allowing her melodies and whisper-thin vocals to shine on their own. Lone is brief but haunting, a miniature foray into the kind of music that's so personal that you don't need to be able to understand the language to feel what makes it special, and an all around joy to listen to.
Top tracks: Agenda; Komish...
Preview.
Ai Aso makes weird, supremely minimal folk music that's hard not to love. On her latest album, we're treated to seven live performances of her sorrowful, unique style of singer-songwriter beauty. Ai Aso's voice is accompanied by either a single clean guitar or a simple synth line, instead allowing her melodies and whisper-thin vocals to shine on their own. Lone is brief but haunting, a miniature foray into the kind of music that's so personal that you don't need to be able to understand the language to feel what makes it special, and an all around joy to listen to.
Top tracks: Agenda; Komish...
Preview.
84. Perfect Pussy - 'Say Yes to Love'
Genre: Noise Rock/Shoegazey Skramz
Country of Origin: USA
Perfect Pussy's demo tape from last year completely blew me away. Vibrant feminist skramz with a huge swath of noise thrown over it? Sign me up! Naturally, I had high expectations for their debut full-length, and in all honesty it didn't really pay off on those expectations at all--instead, it took the band's music in a totally new and potentially even more intricate direction. Say Yes to Love has less screamo influence and feels a lot more like abstract noise rock with Meredith Graves shouting passionately over the top, It's a brief and overwhelming album, full of feedback shrieks and densely buried guitars, some of the best lyrics imaginable with the occasional giant hit of synth. I'm not sure if it's fair to call anything that Perfect Pussy does accessible, but Say Yes to Love is one of the most immediately impactful albums to have such a huge layer of noise in a long time, and that's not something to be ignored.
Top tracks: Work; Big Stars
Preview.
Genre: Noise Rock/Shoegazey Skramz
Country of Origin: USA
Perfect Pussy's demo tape from last year completely blew me away. Vibrant feminist skramz with a huge swath of noise thrown over it? Sign me up! Naturally, I had high expectations for their debut full-length, and in all honesty it didn't really pay off on those expectations at all--instead, it took the band's music in a totally new and potentially even more intricate direction. Say Yes to Love has less screamo influence and feels a lot more like abstract noise rock with Meredith Graves shouting passionately over the top, It's a brief and overwhelming album, full of feedback shrieks and densely buried guitars, some of the best lyrics imaginable with the occasional giant hit of synth. I'm not sure if it's fair to call anything that Perfect Pussy does accessible, but Say Yes to Love is one of the most immediately impactful albums to have such a huge layer of noise in a long time, and that's not something to be ignored.
Top tracks: Work; Big Stars
Preview.
83. The Dumplings - 'No Bad Days'
Genre: Dark Indie Pop
Country of Origin: Poland
The debut album by The Dumplings is almost stupidly good, especially considering that it's the first full-length collaboration of these two Polish teenagers after meeting at a music competition. Don't let their youth or relative newness to the scene fool you though, No Bad Days is a deceptively mature record full of intricate, minimal beats, ambient synths, and gorgeous singing. It's easy to compare The Dumplings to weird-pop powerhouses like Björk or Fever Ray or even a more subdued version of CHVRCHES, but something about them sticks out from the crowd and separates them from any of their peers. No Bad Days is a beautiful record that's at once sorrowful, lonesome and nostalgic while still being fun, exciting, and gleeful in its confused exuberance. This is the kind of record that you can blast through on a sunny day while running down the beach or while bracing yourself against the cold on your walk to work in the rain and it fits perfectly either way. Despite their age, The Dumplings have a knack for making impressively memorable, beautiful, and impacting dual-language pieces of music, and I only see them getting better from here.
Top tracks: How Many Knives; Mewy
Preview.
The debut album by The Dumplings is almost stupidly good, especially considering that it's the first full-length collaboration of these two Polish teenagers after meeting at a music competition. Don't let their youth or relative newness to the scene fool you though, No Bad Days is a deceptively mature record full of intricate, minimal beats, ambient synths, and gorgeous singing. It's easy to compare The Dumplings to weird-pop powerhouses like Björk or Fever Ray or even a more subdued version of CHVRCHES, but something about them sticks out from the crowd and separates them from any of their peers. No Bad Days is a beautiful record that's at once sorrowful, lonesome and nostalgic while still being fun, exciting, and gleeful in its confused exuberance. This is the kind of record that you can blast through on a sunny day while running down the beach or while bracing yourself against the cold on your walk to work in the rain and it fits perfectly either way. Despite their age, The Dumplings have a knack for making impressively memorable, beautiful, and impacting dual-language pieces of music, and I only see them getting better from here.
Top tracks: How Many Knives; Mewy
Preview.
82. Stolas - 'Allomaternal'
Genre: Post-Hardcore
Country of Origin: USA
It makes perfect sense that Stolas are signed to the record label of Dance Gavin Dance guitarist Will Swan--every moment of their second full-length is filled with the kind of swirling guitar lines and soulful post-hardcore that made Swan's band so famous, but the fact is Stolas do it better. Allomaternal is a surprisingly unorthodox album for its genre, and while it's full of catchy hooks and vicious screams, the record deals more in the business of throwing a moment of beautiful atmospheric guitars at you when you least expect it, or building up to a wailing-vocals climax in the middle of the heaviest song on the album. Stolas have a great ear for memorable melodies, but their real skill lies in the ability to create huge emotional journeys in each five-minute song they write. Allomaternal is one of those records that sweeps you up in its world and doesn't let go until it's done, carrying you along with it for every peak and valley, and it's something that any fan of post-hardcore needs to hear immediately.
Top tracks: Solunar; Allokinetic
Listen.
Listen.Top tracks: Solunar; Allokinetic
Listen.
81. Botanist - 'VI: Flora'
Genre: Avant-Garde Black Metal
Country of Origin: USA
Ever since his first album, Botanist has been churning out a constant stream of bizarre blackened doom at a pace that's almost hard to believe. Each Botanist album shows an impressive amount of evolution and maturation on his trademark formula of experimental metal made with just drums, vocals, and a hammer dulcimer. VI: Flora just might be his best work yet, with a newfound emotional core that propels it to a level of power far above and beyond its initial gimmick, VI: Flora is defnitely an interesting concept, but its foreward-thinking beauty and intricate songwriting will keep you coming back for more even once the initial curiosity fades.
Ever since his first album, Botanist has been churning out a constant stream of bizarre blackened doom at a pace that's almost hard to believe. Each Botanist album shows an impressive amount of evolution and maturation on his trademark formula of experimental metal made with just drums, vocals, and a hammer dulcimer. VI: Flora just might be his best work yet, with a newfound emotional core that propels it to a level of power far above and beyond its initial gimmick, VI: Flora is defnitely an interesting concept, but its foreward-thinking beauty and intricate songwriting will keep you coming back for more even once the initial curiosity fades.
Top tracks: Leucadendron Argenteum; Rhizophora
80. Angel Olsen - 'Burn Your Fire for No Witness'
Genre: Dark Folk
Country of Origin: USA
Angel Olsen has honed her brand of eerie americana for a long time now, and on Burn Your Fire For No Witness she's finally perfected it. For her first full-band album, Olsen conjures up her finest songwriting and creates mournful folk masterpieces built to give you shivers. Between her ghostly voice and soft, detached guitars, Angel Olsen has crafted a sound entirely her own amidst the normally samey folk scene. Burn Your Fire For No Witness is one of those albums that's hard to write about simply because every moment of listening to it is spent in stunned amazement, wrapped up in the unnerving beauty of it all. This is a quiet triumph, and a record that deserves to remain in everyone's memory for years to come.
Top tracks: White Fire; Stars
Preview.Genre: Dark Folk
Country of Origin: USA
Angel Olsen has honed her brand of eerie americana for a long time now, and on Burn Your Fire For No Witness she's finally perfected it. For her first full-band album, Olsen conjures up her finest songwriting and creates mournful folk masterpieces built to give you shivers. Between her ghostly voice and soft, detached guitars, Angel Olsen has crafted a sound entirely her own amidst the normally samey folk scene. Burn Your Fire For No Witness is one of those albums that's hard to write about simply because every moment of listening to it is spent in stunned amazement, wrapped up in the unnerving beauty of it all. This is a quiet triumph, and a record that deserves to remain in everyone's memory for years to come.
Top tracks: White Fire; Stars
79. Circa Survive - 'Descensus'
Genre: Progressive Post-Hardcore
Country of Origin: USA
After the slightly-awkward Violent Waves, a lot of Circa Survive fans were nervous about the band's future. Turns out that no one had to worry though, because Descensus kicks ass, plain and simple. The band's fifth album is also definitively their heaviest, filled with giant riffs and pounding near-breakdowns. Anthony Green's ear-piercing voice is at its most tense, filled with gravelly passion soaring over the hefty instrumentals provided by the rest of the band. Descensus lacks the open-ended, noodly spaciness of Circa Survive's early career, what replaces it with a raw power that's not to be missed. It's easy to mourn the change from the band's promising beginnings, but when what they've become is this good, one can hardly complain.
Top tracks: Schema; Quiet Down
Preview.
Top tracks: Schema; Quiet Down
Preview.
78. Marissa Nadler - 'July'
Genre: Dark Folk
Country of Origin: USA
Marissa Nadler's Sacred Bones Records debut is a dreamy trip of an album, winding through haunted highways and memories of lost lovers. July's simple acoustic guitars and strings, augmented by muffled drums, lay an effective lo-fi backing for Nadler's ghostly vocals. The record walks a fine line between hazy mood music and nostalgic sorrow-folk, settling a fine reverb-soaked gauze across its runtime and reminding listeners why Marissa Nadler belongs right at the top of the growing dark folk genre aside its bigger names. July is equally at home in the background as it is under a microscope, and whether it's adding atmosphere or showing off Nadler's phenomenal songwriting, every moment of this album just works.
Top tracks: Was It A Dream; Dead City Emily
Listen.
Genre: Dark Folk
Country of Origin: USA
Marissa Nadler's Sacred Bones Records debut is a dreamy trip of an album, winding through haunted highways and memories of lost lovers. July's simple acoustic guitars and strings, augmented by muffled drums, lay an effective lo-fi backing for Nadler's ghostly vocals. The record walks a fine line between hazy mood music and nostalgic sorrow-folk, settling a fine reverb-soaked gauze across its runtime and reminding listeners why Marissa Nadler belongs right at the top of the growing dark folk genre aside its bigger names. July is equally at home in the background as it is under a microscope, and whether it's adding atmosphere or showing off Nadler's phenomenal songwriting, every moment of this album just works.
Top tracks: Was It A Dream; Dead City Emily
Listen.
77. OG Maco - 'Breathe'
Genre: Rap
Country of Origin: USA
After the massive and furious 'U Guessed It,' it was anyone's guess where OG Maco would go. The release of his self-titled record certainly proved that he's no one hit wonder, but it's his three-song end-of-year EP that really stuns. Breathe is a sorrowful and scathing discussion of life as a black men in America, contextualized against the events of the past year. In just nine minutes, OG Maco mourns the dead, speaks on his sorrow and fear over the racism he faces, and finally leads one of the most intense and furious calls to arms imaginable. It's hard to think of anything more to say about Breathe, because it's such a simple record: this is incredible rap music about some of the most important issues of our time. It is upset, it is beaten down, and it is ferocious, but more than anything it's absolutely vital.
Top tracks: Riot; Get Down
76. Behemoth - 'The Satanist'
Genre: Blackened Death Metal
Country of Origin: Poland
Behemoth's tenth full-length is undeniably their masterpiece. The Satanist is huge and terrifying, shifting at breakneck pace between riffs and ideas, and somehow maintaining the same terrifying feel throughout. Nergal's vocals are more virulent than ever, and the instrumental work that accompanies him is both technically impressive and atmospherically monolithic. It's impossible to listen to The Satanist and not be blown away but the simply immense and frightening mood that it presents, largely thanks to the record's absolutely unrelenting pace and its nods back to Behemoth's black metal roots. This is far and away the most punishing and intense extreme metal record of the year, and a stunning reminder of why Behemoth are one of the biggest names in the genre.
Top tracks: Furor Divinus; Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel
Preview.
PART ONE| PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR | PART FIVE
Genre: Blackened Death Metal
Country of Origin: Poland
Behemoth's tenth full-length is undeniably their masterpiece. The Satanist is huge and terrifying, shifting at breakneck pace between riffs and ideas, and somehow maintaining the same terrifying feel throughout. Nergal's vocals are more virulent than ever, and the instrumental work that accompanies him is both technically impressive and atmospherically monolithic. It's impossible to listen to The Satanist and not be blown away but the simply immense and frightening mood that it presents, largely thanks to the record's absolutely unrelenting pace and its nods back to Behemoth's black metal roots. This is far and away the most punishing and intense extreme metal record of the year, and a stunning reminder of why Behemoth are one of the biggest names in the genre.
Top tracks: Furor Divinus; Blow Your Trumpets Gabriel
Preview.
PART ONE| PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR | PART FIVE
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IT'S BACK! Love your lists. Looking forward to the other entries.
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