But first! Some thoughts on the few TV shows/movies I did watch in 2014.
- Despite having a fairly spread out and slow moving plotline, The Knick managed to be some of the finest 10 episodes of television I watched in the past few years. This may have largely had to do with how fascinating it is to see what people believed about and practiced medicine and wonder if years from now, people will think that about what we "know" to be true now. The also reinforced several key tenets of life. Nice guys finish last. Doctors are all addicted to something. Dem hoes ain't loyal. Clive Owen is a badass. Speaking of Clive Owen, I'll be right back after I rewatch Shoot 'Em Up for the hundredth time.
- In my humble opinion, this year was probably the best year thus far to be a Marvel fan. 3 of the 4 Marvel superheroes based films released in 2014 could each make a strong case for top 10, top 5 comic movie of all time (the 4th.... well, at least Emma Stone looked good). Captain America Winter Soldier is the best second installation for a series that Marvel has pumped out thus far, and completely changes the tone from the relatively light, era piece that its predecessor was. It also managed to make the whole Marvel film universe go through a major, major change, setting things up for the second Avengers. X-Men Days of Future Past managed to bring to life one of the most iconic storylines in comic history and lived up to the massive hype it had preceding it and its massive cast. I'm a huge fan of both X-2 and First Class, but this one takes the cake. Finally, Guardians of the Galaxy used the power of CGI Vin Diesel and a rocking soundtrack to destroy all expectations and completely dominate the summer box office. I'm not usually one to say I told you so, but since I was one of maybe 2, 3 people I know who actively got excited for this movie when it was first announced... I freaking told you so.
- The finale of HBO's Silicon Valley is the greatest single episode of a TV sitcom I've seen this year. The set up to the grand finale that arises from what seems to initially just be a fun throwaway joke is absolutely masterful and mean jerk time just might be my new favorite phrase. Cable sitcom as a whole did pretty great this year actually, with strong season showings from The League, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Always Sunny in Philadelphia, You're the Worst and the always amazing Veep. Even Southpark managed to up its game from last year, introducing a new continuity factor that kept things interesting and giving us Randy Marsh as Lorde. This is why I have a hard time watching hour long dramas. The 30 minute comedy shows hit me just as hard AND are short enough to appeal to the ADD side of me.
And now, on to the meat of the article. One huge, glaring omission from this list that you may notice is D'Angelo's new Black Messiah album, which dropped out of nowhere this past month after having been promised for more than a decade, giving us hope again that Detox may actually drop one day. I have unfortunately not had the chance to give anything other than the lead single a listen and therefore could not include it on this list. From what I read on the internets though, it's one hell of an album. Also, it seems that Fabolous also dropped an album this past month but I have yet to listen to that as well. Good thing, because we all know it would have been the album of the year otherwise.
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| The true G.O.A.T. |
The following list is presented in reverse order. Keep in mind that this list is completely subjective and from the point of view of a massive hip hop fan.
20. Jessie Ware - Tough Love
Is it girly to like this album? I hope not, because I'm a huge fan. There's admittedly nothing mindblowing about what Jessie Ware does here and it's not my favorite album by a female singer this year (more on that later). But it's a very well put together piece of music and each song just gives you the feels, the way and old Mazzy Star record would. It's an album I can just turn on and zone out to, if I could only stop myself from replaying You and I Forever forever.
Favorite song: You and I Forever
19. Souls of Mischief - There Is Only Now
Adriene Younge produced one of my favorite albums of 2013, Ghostface's Twelve Reasons To Die, and Souls of Mischief showed with its 2009 record, Montezuma's Revenge, that the group still had it in them to be relevant to hip hop beyond their seminal record, 93 til Infinity. So when the two parties decided to collaborate for a whole length album, I was, needless to say, more than a bit excited. The final result sounds like an awesome throwback to an early 90s Native Tongues-esque era. It's the closest thing to a Tribe Called Quest or a Pharcyde record we'll get in the new 2010s, and as a bonus, you can even track down a copy entirely remixed by Ali Shaheed Muhammad, of ATCQ fame.
Favorite Song: All You Got Is Your Word
18. Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty
The rapper formally known as Ishmael the Butterfly of Digable Planets continues his reintroduction to the rap world that started with the first Shabazz Palaces album. Unlike his work with Digable Planets, these albums tend to have a darker, spacier feel to them. The beats throughout are very cloud rap and while no one song might jump out at you, the album as a whole is quite the thing to behold.
Favorite Song: They Come In Gold
This trio is one of the most consistent groups in hip hop and a testament to that is how, what's essentially a collection of B-sides and throwaway tracks, is better than the majority of music that was released this year. The guest appearances on this album are wide and varied, as the group called upon more than the usual QN5 suspects. If you've ever wanted to hear the likes of Blu, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and RA Scion rap over beats from Kno, this album is for you. Kno has been one of hip hop's best producers for the past decade now and he shows no signs of slipping here.
Favorite Song: Urutora Kaiju
16. Atmosphere - Southsiders
Another hip hop album from another consistent hip hop group. Slug and Ant's last effort, Family Signs was maybe the only lesser effort from the duo, and this new album more than does the job of dragging them back. Ant's beats are as strong as ever and Slug continues to get better and better with each album, even after being in the game for over 10 years now. It's the most fun record from these guys since the days before When Life Gives You Lemons.
Favorite Song: The World Might Not Live Through The Night
15. New Pornographers - Brill Bruisers
I love these guys. This Canadian supergroup has been one of my favorite bands for a long time now and no matter the final product, I was going to be happy that they even managed to get together long enough to record their new album. The album just oozes indie power pop (is that term an oxymoron?). Even though it's been criticized by some to be a going through the motions type record and despite the fact that it could have used a lot more Neko Case, there are enough gems on it to warrant its place here for me. Also, I was never going to leave off the guys that gave the world The Bleeding Hearts Show, one of my favorite songs of all time.
Favorite Song: Fantasy Fools
14. Black Milk - If There's a Hell Below
There was a time in the late 2000s, when the hip hop world thought Black Milk would absolutely takeover the industry. He was Detroit's gritty answer to Kanye West, a producer turned rapper that repped his hometown with absolute gusto. While Black Milk did manage to make some amazing albums, he eventually fell out of the spotlight for one reason or another. So much so that I wasn't even aware of this new album's existence until a whole month after its release date. It's no Tronic, but it is an improvement on No Poison No Paradise and might actually move up this list upon further listens.
Favorite Song: Leave The Bones Behind
13. Big Krit - Cadillactica
My God how I wish Big KRIT was able to clear the samples needed to keep Mt. Olympus' original beat. The album version is still a banger due to KRIT's snapping on the last verse, but this original is just something else. Cadillactica is the album we were all waiting for since we first heard KRIT Wuz Here. It's the realization of the massive potential inside this amazing southern rapper and the album we thought we'd get with Live From the Underground. In other words, this album goes.
Favorite Song: Mt. Olympus (Original Beat)
12. Aphex Twin - Syro
I only became aware of Aphex Twin after Kanye West decided to sample him for the Blame Game. Afterwards, I fell in love with the original source material, Avril 14th, and his Selected Ambient Works album. Syro is not the most accessible album, and it's not electronic music as you'd hear on the waves of pop radio. The reward for taking the proper time to digest it though is an album that provides something new with each listen and can convince even the strongest electronic music naysayers (including me) that the genre does have some worthwhile stuff after all.
Favorite Song: Minipops 67 (not really, but the only track I could find on youtube)
11. Mac Miller - Faces
Mac Miller continues to move up in my list of favorite post 2000 rappers with each new release. As much as I liked Watching Movies, I think this mixtape manages to surpass it. It is, however, a bit too unfocused to be any higher than it is right now. I look forward to his next full length project, whether as Mac Miller or as his psychotic, evil alter ego, Delusional Thomas.
Favorite Song: New Faces
10. Schoolboy Q - Oxymoron
If Kendrick's Good Kid MAAD City was the new era's Illmatic, Q's Oxymoron is its Reasonable Doubt. The former takes a Nas-like prophetic, observer type tone whereas Oxymoron tells the story of a man who took full part in the lifestyle and revels in it, even while attempting to pull himself out of it. There are a few issues with it that keeps it out of the top ten (Studio and Hell of a Night could have been bonus tracks, Yay Yay and Fuck LA should have been regular tracks and the first half of Prescription/Oxymoron could have been shortened by a lot) but what works, works so damn well. It's like Q realized we wanted a whole album of Hands On the Wheel's and delivered just that. As his daughter says so eloquently before the first track begins, "fuck rap. [Schoolboy Q] is a gangsta."
Favorite Song: Break the Bank
9. DJ Premier and Royce Da 5'9" - PRhyme
Let's get one thing straight. This pairing is in no way an effort to be the next Gang Starr. Royce is not trying to replace Guru. What this is, is these two artists finally realizing that every track they've made together has been nothing short of amazing and deciding to make an entire album full of similarly amazing tracks. Collaboration albums, especially between two veterans, are usually disappointing, so I went into this just hoping that it wouldn't be an absolute mess. PRhyme managed to go way above and beyond those expectations and will satisfy any hip hop nerd. Not to mention you get to hear the likes of Schoolboy Q, Ab Soul, Mac Miller and Killer Mike over Preemo beats!!
Favorite Song: Wishin
8. Jenny Lewis - Voyager
Rilo Kiley is no more but Jenny Lewis has come back in full force. Voyager is everything I thought I'd be getting with Rabbit Fur Coat and I'm Having Fun Now. It almost makes up for the fact one of my favorite bands will probably never get back together. Almost.
Favorite Song: She's Not Me
7. Ghostface Killah - 36 Seasons
Ghost continues the one producer trend started with last year's 12 Reasons To Die and decides to pair up with The Revelations, known for their previous work with the clan, Chamber Music. The album explores the fictional story of Pretty Toney, as he returns from prison and aims to take over his old stomping grounds. It's a story told with the aid of a few key guest stars, putting Kool G Rap and AZ all over this whole record. 36 Seasons is excellent enough to completely obliterate all memory of that other, extremely underwhelming Wu Tang record that was released this year.
Favorite Song: Double Cross
6. Vince Staples - Hell Can Wait EP
This EP is Vince Staples way of saying he's ready to take over the whole damn game. Kid came out of damn near nowhere and delivered a succinct thesis statement on why he's the next big thing. I seriously wilded out and listened to Blue Suede at least 100 times when I first heard it. I expect huge things in the future.
Favorite Song: Tie between Hands Up and Blue Suede
5. Freddie Gibbs and Madlib - Pinata
After teasing us with random floater tracks for the past 2, 3 years, MadGibbs finally dropped the whole project on us. Three words. Worth. The. Wait. It's an odd pairing to be sure, but somehow Gangsta Gibbs' gritty ass flow matches perfectly with the off kilter beats Madlib provides him. It's no Madvillainy, sure, but it's easily the next best thing.
Favorite Song: Uno
4. Isaiah Rashad - Cilvia Demo
If you want to be a part of TDE, you better be able to rap your ass off at the drop of a dime. Cilvia Demo shows that the newest member of the crew is able to do just that and then some. Nobody thought the best album from this camp would be from a relative unknown, not when Q and Ab Soul had releases planned as well but her we are. Cilvia Demo is a top 5, top 10 project from these guys and I look forward to seeing Isaiah Rashad pop up on more future projects. Maybe Kendrick's next solo?? ::drool::
Favorite Song: R.I.P. Kevin Miller
3. JMSN - Blue Album
This is the best R&B album I've heard in years. The weeknd was cool and Frank Ocean dropped two really great projects in Nostalgia and Channel Orange but JMSN's 2014 effort blows all these away. From start to finish, there are no weak tracks and it makes me care about the genre in a way no album has been able to since early Usher. Seek it out and seek out his back catalog as well. Then, pray that business disputes disappear and that his collabo album with Ab Soul gets back on track. I mean, if we can get a follow up D'angelo project to finally hit, anything is possible right??
Favorite Song: Foolin
2. Flying Lotus - You're Dead
There's nothing left to be said about this magnum opus. Just listen to it and revel in some of the best music in any genre to be made thus far this decade.
Favorite Song: Coronus, The Terminator (sad that all I could find was this shitty live version)
1. El-P and Killa Mike - Run the Jewels 2
Could there have been any other at this spot? The first Run the Jewels was a revolution. This follow up is a damn revelation. It managed to improve upon the previous album in damn near every way. El-P's beats demand your ear's complete attention and both parties involved absolutely rip apart the mic on each track. Add to that a monstrous Zack de la Rocha guest verse and it's a wrap. Run the Jewels 3 cannot come quickly enough and the world is not ready for Meow the Jewels.
Favorite Song: Close Your Eyes (And Count To Fuck)
This article was uploaded a day later than I'd originally desired so see you in the new year doesn't quite make sense anymore. So I'll leave you with simply, happy new year. 2015, here we go.
Bonus track aka the best track of 2014 to not be on an album yet aka I just wanted an excuse to post this banger:
Next time on your local French ass restaurant.
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| The importance of tie o' clock. |
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