Top 40:
40:
Leonard Cohen -
You Want It Darker
Leonard Cohen signs off with a fine record. For me it isn't anywhere near top tier level Cohen, but judged on its own merits this is a fine record with nice production & of course some great lyrical moments.
39:
Connections -
Midnight Run
Their 4th album & they've barely changed, yet the fatigue hasn't kicked nor has my enthusiasm for them dwindled in the slightest. Whenever I need a short burst of fast paced lo-fi indie rock I always turn to connections. Just hope they make it over to the UK for some gigs one day.
38:
Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids -
We Be All Africans
Spiritual Jazz with a bit of afro-beat thrown in. Some really great moments spread throughout this LP
37:
Open Mike Eagle + Paul White -
Hella Personal Film Festival 
I guess you'd call this conscious hip-hop, I really dig Open Mike's style, reminds me very much of Milo who I'm also a fan of. I love his delivery & his playful, yet personal way with words.
36:
Meilyr Jones -
2013
I knew of Meilyr Jones through his time in Race Horses, but he really won me over at latitude festival. Sort of a mixture between Gorky's, Dexys Midnight Runners & perhaps a bit of Moz solo. This record contains some of my absolute favourite tunes of the year. Unfortunately the record is kind of patchy with a few moments I really don't care for. Still when it's good it's really great. Great oddball pop music.
35:
The Divine Comedy -
Foreverland
The older I get the more I'm appreciating Neil Hannon, what a fantastic song-writer. So much beauty within his lyrics, but also an incredible amount of wit & humour. Another fine Divine Comedy record.
34:
Mars Mellow -
Cosmic Perspective 
Hip Hop Duo from San Jose who I know very little about. Think I just saw them listed on RYM as Jazz Rap so gave it a go & it's impressive stuff. The rapper goes by the name of Lucid Optics & has a similar off-beat approach to someone such as Milo. His lyrics are always interesting & the beats are slightly abstract & all over the place.
33:
Primal Scream -
Chaosmosis 
You know what, I've got to give Primal Scream credit for this album. I understand how someone might be disgusted by this record. But for me they've made a record that sounds like nothing else they've ever done. Sure it's a far cry from XTRMNTR or Screamadelica, but judged on its own merits this is a great Synthpop record (aka an attempt at New Order). Early on I almost wanted to dislike this record but it's just far too addictive, catchy and in your face that I can't help but enjoy it pretty much start to finish.
32:
Esperanza Spalding -
Emily's D+Evolution 
I don't think I'd even heard of Esperanza Spalding before hearing this LP, it's one I really couldn't make heads of tails of on my first few listens but the songs really grew on me. Her sound is unique to say the least & completely all over the place. At times it feels like I'm listening to someone like Frank Zappa, then there's moments of pure art-pop followed by sections where things go a bit prog. There's parts of the record I'm still unsure of, but you just know when you listen to it that you are hearing the work of someone who's operating on another level to most. Like I say, not everything works for me, but this is a special artist that has potential to make mindblowing material in the future.
31:
Terry -
Terry HQ 
Melbourne post-punk, slightly garage-rocky act. Really strong LP that'll appeal to anyone who enjoys Parquet Courts & bands of that nature.
30:
The Goon Sax -
Up To Anything
I don't know what's going on over in Australia of late, but they are really producing a lot of great music in recent years. Goon Sax from Brisbane do that 80s flavour of sad-bastard jangle-pop & they do it incredibly well. Plus they must be about 12 years old. Addictive record.
29:
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy -
Pond Scum
I've dipped in & out of Billy Prince Billy over the years but he's never clicked with me in a big way. I really dug this record though, typical alt-country/singer-songwriter material, well crafted songs, lyrically strong & a nice cover of Prince's The Cross too.
28:
Westside Gunn -
FlyGod
Good old fashioned East Coast hip-hop. Really love the beats & production on this thing. Lyrically I don't think its anything special, but his delivery has enough about it to keep things interesting plus there's a ton of good guest spots which mostly all work perfectly including Action Bronson & Mayhem Lauren.
27:
Anderson .Paak -
Malibu 
I actually prefer this to the NxWorries record that came out later in the year. I feel Paak's musical pallet is wider & he explores much more territory here, whilst still making everything feel coherent & too the point. A really great blend of Neo-Soul, Hip Hop & RNB.
26:
Our Solar System -
In Time
Great instrumental rock LP from Sweden that mixes elements of Psych, Jazz & Krautrock. Two tracks both clocking in over 20 minutes a piece. A great record to listen to in the dark with headphones on.
25:
Iggy Pop -
Post Pop Depression 
This was a complete surprise for me. I always check out whatever Iggy releases but truth be told I never have any real expectations anymore. Got to give credit to Josh Holme here as he completely "gets" that early Iggy sound & together they've made one of the best Iggy records in years. Of course this doesn't compare to The Idiot or Lust For Life but start to finish this is an incredibly solid record & Iggy is on form, his vocals on this are just fantastic.
24:
Abayomy -
Abra sua cabeça 
Been on a huge Fela Kuti kick this year so this Rio de Janeiro based Afrobeat act really ticked the right boxes for me. Funky as hell, great Sax work, chanted vocals & an appearance from Tony Allen. Definitely sounds like an era gone by, though they do incorporate a few modern sounds into music which stops this from ever being a complete exorcise in nostalgia.
23:
Pill -
Convenience 
This was a pretty interesting LP put out on Mexican Summer. It's a NY post-punk/experimental rock type deal, I guess at times in line with bands like Sonic Youth but with plenty of Sax freakouts & really obnoxious female vocals that sound like a less shouty version of Kathleen Hanna. Not everything quite hits the spot but there's some moments of brilliance on this record & I'll definitely be checking out whatever they released in the future.
22:
Shabaka and the Ancestors -
Wisdom of Elders 
My favourite Jazz LP of the year. The Ancestors are a South African band joined by Shabaka Hutchings of Melt Yourself Down on Sax. If you like spiritual jazz such as Pharoah Sanders, Alice Coltrane & Don Cherry then this might be up your street. There's vocals on a few tracks which I'm not overly keen on, but when it hits the sweet spot it's fantastic.
21:
Jesu & Sun Kil Moon -
Jesu / Sun Kil Moon 
I think this release mostly got negative reviews & I can't understand why. Lyrically Mark Kozelek is writing in the same confessional style that brought him so much success in the past few years & musically Jesu brings much needed variation to Sun Kil Moon's sound. There's some doom metal, post-rock & even some nice quiet atmospheric moments that really help bring Kozelek's storytelling to life. Like Sun Kil Moon's past couple of records his lyrics can go from being unbelievably moving & emotional, to "fucking really?!? this sounds like an emo kids diary", sometimes within the same song. But I think he's on point more often than not & Jesu's approach to this LP made this one that I've come back to and got lost in time and time again.
20:
Let's Eat Grandma -
I, Gemini 
Such a wonderfully refreshing debut. I saw these first a couple of years back & they left a big impression, so it was great to see them finally put out a record & for it to be so great. Sublime art-pop that's so unique & strange that Kate Bush would be proud of it. Some moments work better than others, but their charm always shines through even on moments I'm not completely sold on. Also, considering their age I'd have to think that they can only improve with years to come so I'm hopeful that they'll make something real special in the near future.
19:
The Lemons -
Hello, We're The Lemons 
Ridiculously sugary lo-fi bubblegum pop record. 29 tracks that all (but one) clock in under two minutes. I've been listening to it a lot lately & I liken it to eating a huge bag of Jelly Babies. Probably too much of a good thing, but holy shit is it addictive. Barny provided the best summery of this album "it's like listening to the iTunes preview of an album by We Are From Barcelona playing Black Lips covers".
18:
A Tribe Called Quest -
We Got It From Here... Thank You 4 Your Service
This was a wonderful surprise. Not only the fact that it was announced and released out of nowhere, but the fact it is of such high quality is something that couldn't really be expected. A double album that doesn't drag in the slightest, flows well from start to finish & the guest spots are of a high standard too. RIP Phife, really upset I never got to see him & tribe perform live.
17:
The Drones -
Feelin Kinda Free
Another Australian act. They've got the nasty aggression of Grinderman era Nick Cave with the kind of nihilistic & venomous lyrical content from XTRMNTR, one of the more interesting rock records I've heard in a while.
16:
Angel Olsen -
MY WOMAN 
I could never really get into her confessional folky material prior to this release. MY WOMAN is much more to my tastes with its more direct pop/indie-rock approach. I think her vocals are more powerful & effective in this environment too. Second half of the record feels a bit drawn out for me in places but overall this is a really strong record which I hope she expands on next time around.
15:
Ty Segall -
Emotional Mugger
I've dipped in & out of TY's career over the past 4 or 5 years & enjoyed bits & pieces, yet never felt that I was liking him as much as I probably should. Thankfully this LP + seeing him at the forum has helped me becoming fully on board. Such a fun mixture of garage meets glam-rock.
14:
Max Romeo -
Horror Zone
Max Romeo's turned back the years & made something that sounds like a spiritual successor to War ina Babylon. It features some original members of the Upsetters, Lee Perry's involved on a few tracks, they used the original equipment and even the same guy did the artwork. This LP really has no right to be as strong as it is. A real shame that it has received so little attention.
13:
Danny Brown -
Atrocity Exhibition 
A real beast of a record. I love how all over the place, diverse & experimental everything is. Not only with the production, but even his own vocals change from track to track. I do feel it loses its way a little towards the end but there's some of my go-to tunes of the year on this record.
12:
Anohni -
Hopelessness
This record certainly divided opinions this year. I've seen reviews of people that hated it. I, personally think it's up there with her very best. Musically the electro/glitch-pop sound really blends well with her voice & I'm always a sucker for politically driven lyrics, even if they are incredibly obvious & on the nose. I can kind of see where people are coming from when they criticise this record (the Obama song is a bit much), but I fell in love with it from my first listen.
11:
Conor Oberst -
Ruminations
This was one of the bigger surprises of the year from me. Though I've enjoyed bits & pieces of his career I've never been completely sold on Bright Eyes/Oberst. On Ruminations he just gets it right from start to finish. I love the simplicity of the songs (vocals with guitar/piano & the occasional harmonica), the warmth of the recording gives a real intimacy to the LP & lyrically its pretty strong too. This is basically Oberst's Nebraska
10:
Cate Le Bon -
Crab Day
Fantastic art-pop, really odd song structures and even a bit Captain Beefhearty in places. I'd heard bits & pieces of her career up to this point but it seems like she's really found her voice with this record. Strange & wonderful. The sound of someone with complete confidence in what they are creating.
09:
Kate Tempest -
Let Them Eat Chaos 
The best summery of modern life in Britain since Original Pirate Material. Tempest has such a wonderful way with words, lyrically the record is grim as fuck, I love it. Musically it's no pushover either, I love the use of electronics & there's some tidy beats here too. However it's all about her poetry, political hip hop at its most vital. A tremendous record & an incredible talent.
08:
Mick Harvey -
Delirium Tremens 
This has to be one of the most tragically neglected records of the year. Mick Harvey, former Bad Seed & now collaborator with PJ Harvey released this, his third collection of translations into English of Serge Gainsbourg’s back catalogue. These aren't just covers, musically he's given the songs completely new arrangements than the originals & he's really made these sound like his own. Dark, moody, yet incredibly beautiful at times, it'll appeal to anyone who's enjoyed the latest works from Cave & PJ Harvey. Give it a go, "Don't Say A Thing" is one of my go-to songs of the year.
07:
Car Seat Headrest -
Teens of Denial 
Good ol' fashioned indie-rock at its best. Keep meaning to go back & check out his previous bandcamp records. I've seen many people complaining about the length of the record which I completely disagree with. The songs go into so many different directions that nothing on here ever outstays its welcome, it just fly's by with so many great ideas that the record never ever feels its length.
06:
Parquet Courts -
Human Performance 
This has been the year that parquet courts clicked with me in a big way. The perfect blend of garage-rock meets post-punk, short, snappy & too the point. I've really become obsessed with this band throughout the year & this record start to finish is just killer.
05:
Kendrick Lamar -
untitled unmastered. 
Holy shit was Kendrick on fire during those to pimp a butterfly sessions. Doesn't feel like leftovers at all, essential listening. Now, I'm not saying this is a better record, but it's rare you get a short hip-hop record that is (for the most part) snappy & to the point. Most times when you talk about Hip Hop you mention the beats, but musically this is really something else. That bassline & Jazz drums on the track with (I think) Ana Wise on vocals are sensational. I wonder if the track with Cee Lo was pulled from Pimp due to the drug-rape accusation? Either way, amazing stuff, just a shame that 4 minutes or so at the end of LEVITATE LEVITATE LEVITATE goes nowhere as it really kills the momentum for me a little. Should've ended the record with that really
04:
Charles Bradley -
Changes
I know some people turn their nose up at retro-soul in a "what's the point?" kinda way, but I've never cared as long as it reaches for the heights of the greats. Changes is a fucking phenomenal record that had it been made in 1971 would without a doubt be still being talked about today. It's Charles best record by far, his vocals are just draw-droppingly good throughout (his scream towards the end of "Ain't Gonna Give It Up", jesus christ). Also musically this record is fantastic with The Budos Band & the Menahan Street Band really nailing it, added to that some really great production that makes this stand up as a genuine soul classic of any era for my money.
03:
PJ Harvey -
The Hope Six Demolition Project 
As of right now this is my favourite PJ Harvey album. I really don't understand the lukewarm reviews for this LP, from start to finish I think it's phenomenal. I get that in some ways it feels a bit like she's retreading ground she covered on Let England Shake, which lyrically I'd agree with. Though musically this is an entirely different beast. Her band add such a bigger, boulder & meatier sound, the addition of the sax really does wonders to her sound. For me it's a complete record, & whilst I'm not 100% sure I'd say is a better record than Let England Shake, it's one which just appeals to me much more.
02:
David Bowie -
[Blackstar]
Not much I can say that hasn't already been said about this record. Bowie left us with his final masterpiece. It's near impossible to hear this record without associating it with his death. Though even hearing it before his death it was clear that he'd made something incredible. After listening to this constantly throughout the year I'd put this up there with pretty much anything he's ever made. David Bowie, what a man.
01:
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds -
Skeleton Tree
This & Bowie were neck & neck for #1, I changed my mind a number of times too. Once again another record that is impossible to listen to without thinking about the circumstances that it was made in. Seeing the One More Time With Feeling documentary before hearing the record I certainly feel helped me appreciate the artistry of the record even more. Simply put, Nick Cave for my money has made some of the greatest records of all-time... and this is one of his absolute best. It's a god damn masterpiece. Of course all the plaudits will go to Cave as lyrically Skeleton Tree is sensational. However something most people have overlooked is the contributions from the Bad Seeds. Whilst they touched upon this sound on Push The Sky Away I feel here they really embraced is creating something relentlessly atmospheric that's minimal in a droney way whilst still being incredibly melodic.
