What a year 2014 turned out to be for new music, no matter your tastes. In no particular order, here is some our favorite albums of the year from the Pancakes And Whiskey staff. Here’s to hoping 2015 is even better – Cheers!
Joyce Manor – Never Hungover Again
Joyce Manor
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This was really tough for me because I was so tempted to pick the obvious choice, “The War on Drugs.” Undoubtedly, that album fucking rocks, but my inner hipster took over. So, my favorite album of the year for 2014 is…………… Joyce Manor’s “Never Hungover Again!” Why? There’s just something so nostalgic about it. This genre can get repetitive or boring pretty quickly, however, this album I can’t get sick of. The songs are short compared to their older stuff, but just long enough to keep you super pleased. I saw them a couple of years ago at one of the infamous Vans warehouse parties and knew they were something special. Plus, I have a weakness for California “indie” bands. Pop-Punk will never die, children! –Kayla Klein
Swans – To Be Kind
Swans
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To Be Kind is the best record of 2014 because it’s got the widest vision. It’s two hours of absolutely punishing and expansive rock, building on 2012’s The Seer. It has intimate moments, it has repetitious funky moments, and it has long spaced out jams. And like The Seer: it’s relentless for a full two hours. It’s not the easiest to digest, but only because it’s weighs so heavy. -Steven Klett
Wilco – Alpha Mike Foxtrot
Wilco
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The album that most excited me this year was Wilco’s Alpha Mike Foxtrot, the 4 lp compilation of b-sides, live tracks, and demos that came out in celebration of their twentieth anniversary as a band. But that almost feels like cheating, as a Wilco-freak, I’ve heard most of it before from scouring the internet; I’m just excited that it got an official release. My favorite album proper would be Heigh Ho by Blake Mills, and my review for Pancakes and Whiskey glowed like burning coals for this up and coming artist. Each time I listen to it, a different song gets stuck in my head, and even these few months later, I don’t feel like I’m done exploring –Christopher Gilson
Parquet Courts – Sunbathing Animal
Parquet Courts
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Originally from Texas but now Brooklyn based, Parquet Courts released two albums in 2014. My favorite was their first, Sunbathing Animal. I admit I’m a little late hopping on their bandwagon but I’ll also admit that it’s nice to have four albums from a band you love to binge listen to. Sunbathing Animal has a dry, sarcastic sense of humor. When I first heard Parquet Courts I was sitting in Variety Coffee Shop on Wyckoff in Bushwick trying to get some work done and couldn’t help but think that I would be a perfect subject for one of their songs. Their bluesy slacker garage rock allowed me to laugh at myself as a young person who, in the grand scene of things, is attempting to be financially stable and is practically brand new to living in Brooklyn. I can listen to their songs and say I know this person they’re describing or shamefully admit that they could be talking about me like in Dear Ramona and Always Back in Town. –Jenna Pinch
Ty Segall – Manipulator
Ty Segall
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This one was very difficult for me to pick, and I’m still not 100% confident in my decision, However, Ty Segall is one of my favorite recorded artists and he did not disappoint with this album. It’s exactly what I want to run to, work to, dance to, what-have-you. And the shreds…oh, the shreds. –Shannon Byrne
The War On Drugs – Lost In A Dream
The War On Drugs
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What can I say? This album hit home. In one place I can hear influences from some of my favorite artists of all time. Give it five seconds and you’ll get Dylan, then Springsteen, then Dire Straits. The War on Drugs is a truly derivative band that doesn’t piss you off only because they do it so well.
Lyrically sound, front-man Adam Graduciel comes strong and true. Every song is his, and he lets you know it. He maintains control from start to finish, throwing himself fully into every track. On a first listen, it’s easy to write off this album as a downer. It admittedly drops into deep lulls and sullen moments, that would not recover without tracks such as “Red Eyes” and “Burning.” But then songs like “An Ocean Between the Waves” cue up and you cannot help being completely strap in (or not) for the ride. My advice, listen, then listen again. -Maria Bhim
Death From Above 1979 – The Physical World
Death From Above 1979
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2014 has been the year of the bearded men, aka “lumbersexual” but Jesse F. Keeler is the bearded man who has always had my heart. From start to finish, Death from Above 1979 hooks you right in with “Cheap Talk”, I really love this album because there’s a song for every mood. If I began the day on a somber mood, “White Is Red” was the perfect and if I was walking through a crazy crowd in Midtown Manahattan or Lower East Side, my tune was “Trainwreck 1979” For some reason, “Virgins” seems like the quintessential tune for divey Lower East Side bar hopping. They Physical World has this gritty, sexy sound which reminds me of why I fell in love with them in the first place; they test and break limits. – Karen Silva
D’Angelo & The Vanguard – Black Messiah
D’Angelo
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This is the album that everyone has been waiting 14 years for and it really couldn’t have come at a better time. With just one listen this record has dethroned my leading album of the year and here’s why: It’s a supreme wakeup call. I feel like before I heard this record I have just been going through the motions, living my life as pedestrian as I could. Amidst all the political/social turmoil happening, this album could be seen at the musical counterpart to that turmoil. The song that was released to the masses just yesterday, “Sugah Daddy,” is by far the tamest on the album, sounding like an outtake from the “Voodoo” album, and kind of served as a spark for everyone to take note and be aware of what’s about to come.
The album, recorded entirely in analogue which absolutely deserves a mention because that’s quite rare in this digital age, unfolds beautifully – delving deeper into jazz and funk than he previously did on “Voodoo,” D’Angelo captures the listeners attention with what I call “the deepest of all grooves,” and then with his signature mumbling of the lyrics, it’s a album you have to be completely present to listen to and digest. Sure, D’Angelo injects sex and a bit of raunch from time to time, but it’s never done gratuitously. Every note, lyric and instrument on his album has its purpose, and it’s clear to see why D’ was so meticulous and guarded with this album. Dragged through the gamut of emotions, “Another Life” is the perfect note to end the record on, sounding like the best Marvin Gaye b-side you never heard. This is an album that I’m merely scratching the surface on and yet I just spent about 20 minutes crying nonstop through the first four songs because hearing this album now is equivalent to releasing a breath you hadn’t realized you’ve been holding so long. – Lesley Keller
Jenny Lewis- The Voyager
Jenny Lewis
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Departing from the roots-rock feel of her previous solo work, The Voyager finds Jenny Lewis experimenting with sleeker, dreamier sounds. It’s a record that drifts seamlessly from one idea to the next, conveying all of life’s complexity and pain with an unrelenting grace and charm. Although in many ways, it is the sequencing of the album that most effectively establishes the tone of the songs. Beginning the record with “Head Underwater,” showcases an enduring message of resilience and hope that sticks with you:
“There’s a little bit of magic, everybody has it
There’s a little bit of sand left in the hourglass.” – Caitlin Phillips
Canon Logic – WYLD
Canon Logic
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From beginning to end it’s a pop/rock album that will make you dance around your apartment every time it’s played, guaranteed. The nine-song album is filled with such brilliant musicianship and songwriting showcased in songs like ‘Runaway’, ‘Mountain’, ‘Crocodile’, ‘IBOK’, and the hauntingly beautiful ‘Carry The Water’. All the while any cracks or breaks in the songs are perfectly filled with ambient noises and experimental musical fills that very few bands are talented enough to try and use effectively. – Tom Shackleford
Royal Blood – Royal Blood
Royal Blood
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The debut LP by the English duo is a hard-hitting, 32 minute masterpiece that reminds us that rock isn’t quite dead. If you were to listen blindly, without knowing it’s a two piece band consisting of bass and drums, you might think there’s a guitar in there shredding – and you would be wrong. Highlighted by the super popular singles “Out Of The Black,” “Little Monster,” and “Come On Over” the album rarely lets you breath and keeps hitting you harder with each bombastic track. If you can find it on vinyl it even sounds nastier! –Shayne Hanley
Alt-J – This Is All Yours
Alt-J
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Anyone who knows me that since alt-J released their debut “An Awesome Wave,” I have been obsessed with the band. I’ve waited for their followup record, yearning for more. Then, finally, they announce it with “Hunger of the Pine” this summer and I’m hooked. This Is All Yours is a complicated album, more subdued and intricate than it’s predecessor, also less accessible. alt-J’s sophomore album is music nerdism par excellance, and as a fellow nerd, I love every single second. –Julia Maehner
