Thus Far….Albums of 2014.5
It’s still rather early in the year to start talking about best records of the year and what not, but as we’re midway through 2014, every one is doing it…so why not join in the fun. But, with this in mind, remember that these lists are arbitrary, and if anything, pretty meaningless in the long run; you never know if your thoughts will change in six months…and really, they’re just like, our opinions man. We’ll have two sections…one for national albums and another section of Austin albums released up to this point in 2014.
This list, as of now, is in no particular order; it’s just the records we’ve listened to the most in 2014.
The Coathhangers – Suck My Shirt (Suicide Squeeze Records)
Greg Ashley – Another Generation of Slaves (Trouble In Mind Records)
Ought – More Than Any Other Day (Constellation Records)
Withered Hand – New Gods (Slumberland Records)
Dylan Shearer – Garragearray (Empty Cellar Records)
Warm Soda – Young Reckless Hearts (Castle Face Records)
Angel Olsen – Burn Your Fire for No Witness (Jagjaguwar)
Protomartyr – Under Control of Official Right (Hardly Art Records)
Papercuts – Life Among the Savages (Easy Sound)
Eternal Summers – The Drop Beneath (Kanine)
The Fresh & Onlys – House of Spirits (Mexican Summer)
Sun Kill Moon – Benji (Caldo Verde)
Gold Bears – Dalliance (Slumberland Records)
Pains of Being Pure at Heart – Days of Abandon (Yebo)
I Was a King – Isle of Yours (K Dahl Eftf)
Solids – Blame Confusion (Fat Possum)
A Sunny Day in Glasgow – Sea When Absent (Lefse Records)
War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream (Secretly Canadian)
Cloud Nothings – Here and Nowhere Else (Carpark Records)
Future Islands – Singles (4AD)
Norman Wanklord has returned from his community outreach and incessant 12XU Soundcloud posts to fill you in on his favorite Austin records this year.
Jess Williamson – Native State (Brutal Honest)
OBN IIIs – Third Time to Harm (Tic Tac Totally)
She Sir – Go Guitars (Shelflife)
Abram Shook – Sun Marquee (Western Vinyl)
The Dead Space – Faker (12XU)
Ramesh – The King (ATH Records)
Future Death – Special Victim (Bloodmoss Records)
Pure X – Angel (Fat Possum)
Ghetto Ghouls – s/t (Monofonuss Press)
No Parquet Courts?
no love for the new Woods/Kevin Morby albums?
otherwise, pretty similar to my list.
The Parquet Courts would make a Top 20…but this list includes multiple writers, so we had to make room for everyone’s tastes.
As for Woods and KM, I’ll be honest…I haven’t spent as much time with them as I probably should. Just didn’t hit me on the first few listens as much as I expected, but I’ll go back and spend some time before the year is up.