2014-Year in Review-Albums

Damn.  Didn't realize what a great year it was until I started compiling the lists.  Lots of great stuff didn't even make the short stack.  And I'm sure there are a few albums that I didn't really give a chance that will work their way into my life list (I'm looking at you, Ariel Pink and your "Pom Pom."  You got it, i know you do, I just didn't give it enough plays to compete with the big kids)

So before we hit the list, let's look at some contenders that just fell short:

Spoon-"They Want My Soul"  So nice to have them back, but sometimes consistent brilliance is a curse.
The New Pornographers-"Brill Bruisers"  Love it, and it would have been top ten if it would have just had that one song....
Kaiser Chiefs-"Education, Education, Education" (see below or above)
War on Drugs-"Lost in the Dream" I like, but just don't love compared to their other stuff.
Perfume Genius-"Too Bright" I thought this was top ten from the very first listen and my opinion has not changed, but how much is ten?  ten.
Sun Kil Moon-"Benji"  See, now no one got a present.
Ariel Pink-"Pom Pom"
Morrissey-"Business as Usual"  Really good and on Harvest.  how could i not love?
Ray Lamontagne-"Supernova" How can something I listened to so much not make top ten?
Rosanne Cash-"The River and the Thread"  This was a slow grower for me (especially compared to the list and cadillac), and as close to top ten as can be.

And now the top ten albums for 2014:

10.  Literature "Chorus"/FKA Twigs "LP1"  (Literature is a no brainer, but FKA Twigs has been coming on strong and i just can't choose between the two)
9.  Jenny Lewis-"The Voyager"  ok california sunny pop with a dark undercurrent.  great melodies, some serious lyrics and production out of the 70's.  yes. and thank you.
8.  Future Islands "Singles"  they named the album Singles.  and be damned if they weren't right.  compulsively listenable.
7.  TV on the Radio "Seeds"  Little known well known fact: I've never been that into TVOTR.  just a bit too much something (either trying to hard or pretentious, i can never tell), but with Seeds (it must be the keyboards or that they are willing to try traditional song structures) they hit my sweet spot.
6. Fanfarlo "Let's Go Extinct" Let's hope not.
5. Eno/Hyde "Someday World/High Life"  ok.  someday world would have been enough, but another great album in the same year?  excellent!
4. St. Vincent.  s/t  I have to admit this got lost in the shuffle.  and then i threw it in unaware and i was all..."wow, who is this?"  and then i shamed myself when i realized who it was.  but then i had a hit of dew and i felt better.
3. Ty Segall "Manipulator"  noisy.   a bit abrasive.  annoyingly recorded.  but so poppy.  i just kept hitting replay.
2.  Beck "Morning Phase"  ya ya.  but still.  plus it gives me goosebumps.  so there.
1.  Real Estate "Days"  i wasn't sure what was number one for the longest time.  i thought i had a lot of 3-7 items in my list.  then i put "Days" back in and everything fell into place and i couldn't remember why i had forgotten this in the first place.