Best Albums of 2014

Buzzfeed has this quiz, How Much of a Music Snob Are You?, and I scored pretty high. The quiz asks... Have you ever:

Been a DJ? Check.

Complained about something being "overproduced"? Check.

Bought an album on import? Check

Ordered from indie mail order catalogs? Spent hours alphabetizing CDs? Had elaborate rules for sequencing mix tapes? Check, check, check.

But, the number one item on Buzzfeed's list is this: Have you ever felt like ranking your favorite music of the year was a necessary thing to do? In order to remain a card carrying music snob in good standing, I submit this list for 2014:


Courtney Barnett: The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas



Benjamin Booker: s/t



Deerhoof: La Isla Bonita



Sylvan Esso: s/t



Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings: Give the People What They Want



Nude Beach: 77



Sabina: Toujours



St. Paul & The Broken Bones: Half The City



Ty Segall: Manipulator

Nick Waterhouse: Holly

If you Spotify, you can listen to a playlist of the best of 2014 here.

Song of the day: "Meadow Mines (Fort Polio)" by Dylan Shearer

Hash tags that the record company supplied for its artist, Dylan Shearer include: #syd barrett and #kevin ayers. While I can definitely hear that, I'll add another: #ray davies. Shearer's almost-lethargic vocals sound like something pulled off of a great lost Kinks album. Where the California-born-and-bred singer-songwriter got a British accent, I'll never know.

Song of the day: "So Blonde" by EMA

Ericka Anderson's roots are showing a bit on this track, with its affection for the noisy, yet melodic, '80s indie rock of Sonic Youth, the Pixies, and Aimee Mann, among others. Her new album drops tomorrow.

Song of the day: "Allergies" by POND

Spring days like today are gorgeous, but they have their unpleasant side effects. Claritin take me away!

Song of the day: "Salad Days" by Mac Demarco

I swear...all of the music reviewers are cribbing notes off of all the other music reviewers. For example, everyone says the band War on Drugs sounds like Bruce Springsteen, so it must sound like Bruce right? (Not necessarily.) And now, more than a few reviewers say that Mac Demarco took a page from the Kinks on his new album, Salad Days. Well, I don't entirely buy that either, though I will admit that the nonsense syllables on the title track bear a passing resemblance to the Kinks' "Picture Book." Regardless of who Mac sounds like, he's worth a listen.

Pulling the Plug on Radio Sweetheart

After six years, I'll be pulling down my station on April 26th. Until then, I'll be posting new play lists. Thanks for listening!

Song of the day: "Nowhere To Go" by Tony Molina

There's an old Seinfeld bit where George decides to leave a meeting on a high note rather than wear out his welcome (http://youtu.be/8YaaZZN9VYs). Tony Molina seems to have taken George's lesson to heart. His new album, "Dissed and Dismissed," features 12 songs but is only 12 minutes long. It may seem like a gimmick, but it works--you're always left wanting more. Here is the opening track, which clocks in at an epic 48 seconds.