Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Dan Crafton's Favorite Albums of 2014

Here is my annual list of my favorite full length albums for 2014.
Enjoy!

95.Christopher Owens - A New Testament
94.Pink Floyd - Endless River
93.The Hotelier - Home, Like No Place Is There
92.The Men - Tomorrow's Hits
91.Marissa Nadler - July
90. Yvette - Process
89. Frankie Cosmos - Zentrophy
88. Perfect Pussy - Say Yes To Love
87. Hold Steady - Teeth Dreams
86. The Roots - …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin
85. Royksopp/Robyn - Do It Again
84. Lykke Li - I Never Learn
83. Neil Young - A Letter Home
82. Fucked Up - Glass Boys
81. Bob Mould - Beauty & Ruin
80. Ben Frost - Aurora
79. Trash Talk - No Peace
78. Hamilton Leithauser - Black House
77. Jack White - Lazaretto
76. White Lung - Deep Fantasy
75. The Antlers - Familiars
74. Lone - Reality Testing
73. Mastodon - Once More 'Round The Sun
72. Braid - No Coast
71. Morrissey - World Peace Is None Of Your Business
70. FKA Twigs - LP1
69. Pallbearer - Foundations of Burden
68. Rentals - Lost in Alphaville
67. Leonard Cohen - Popular Problems
66. Thom Yorke - Tomorrow's Modern Boxes
65. Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright In The End
64. Peaking Lights - Cosmic Logic
63. Marianne Faithfull - Give My Love to London
62. Vince Staples - Hell Can Wait
61. Grouper - Ruins
60. Objekt - Flatland
59. Neil Young - Storytone
58. Dirty Beaches - Stateless
57. Arca - Xen
56. Clark - Clark
55. United Nations - The Next Four Years
54. Hundred Waters - The Moon Rang Like A Bell
53. Angel Olsen - Burn Your Fire For No Witness
52. Protomartyr - Under Color Of Official Right
51. Sharon Van Etten - Are We There
50. Ryan Adams - Ryan Adams
49. Interpol - El Pintor
48. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Lose
47. TV On The Radio - Seeds
46. Andy Stott - Faith In Strangers
45. Scott Walker + Sunn O ))) - Soused
44. Azealia Banks - Broke With Expensive Taste
43. Owen Pallett - In Conflict
42. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Wig Out at Jagbags
41. Beck - Morning Phase
40. Shabazz Palaces - Lese Majesty
39. Brian Eno/Karl Hyde - Someday World
38. EMA - The Future's Void
37. Future - Honest
36. Joyce Manor - Never Hungover Again
35. Ought - More Than Any Other Day
34. Thee Oh Sees - Drop
33. Wild Beasts - Present Tense
32. Ty Segall - Manipulator
31. The Drums - Encyclopedia
30. Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra - Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything
29. Tune-Yards - Nikki Nack
28. Mac Demarco - Salad Days
27. Pharmakon - Bestial Burden
26. Fujiya &  Miyagi -Artificial Sweetners
25. Mr. Twin Sister - S/T
24. Shallac - Dude Incredible
23. How To Dress Well - What is this Heart?
22. Jenny Lewis - The Voyager
21. Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else


20. Ex Hex - Rips
19. Perfume Genius - Too Bright
18. New Pornographers - Brill Bruisers
17. Flying Lotus - You're Dead
16. The Soft Pink Truth - Why Do The Heathen Rage?
15. Swans - To Be Kind
14. Caribou - Our Love
13. Todd Terje - It's Album Time
12. Parquet Courts - Sunbathing Animal/Content Nausea
11. St. Vincent - St. Vincent
10. Future Islands - Singles

9. Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 2
8. Spoon - They Want My Soul
7. Foxygen - …And Star Power
6. War On Drugs - Lost In The Dream
5. Ariel Pink - Pom Pom
4. Brian Eno/Karl Hyde - High Life
3. Aphex Twin - Syro
2. Real Estate - Atlas
1. Sun Kil Moon - Benji

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Top 100 Albums of 2013

      2013 turned out to be a very, very good year for albums. I actually had to cut a couple albums off of this list to make it an even 100, it was truly an embarrassment of riches. There were a good variety of genres all of which are well represented here. From hip hop (Pusha-T’s “My Name is my Name”coming out on top), DJ mixes (DJ Koze's album “Amygdala” is one of the best instrumental DJ albums since DJ Shadow's classic 1996 LP "Entroducing"), Dance (Disclosure made the best straight ahead dance album in a long time with their near-perfect “Settle”), metal (Deafheaven’s “Sunbather”takes elements of black metal with shoegaze and transcends definition making a dreamy yet entirely frightening masterpiece), punk ( I can’t say enough good things about Pissed Jeans or Savages), electronic (The Knife, Dirty Beaches, Boards of Canada), neo classical (These New Puritans) and music that defies a simple one word tag (emotionally charged masterpieces by Majical Cloudz and Autre Ne Veut). All the while old favorites like Nick Cave, My Bloody Valentine, David Bowie, hell even Depeche Mode (!) made some of their best works in years.


I thoroughly enjoyed spending the last 12 months being fully engulfed in all of these works, sometimes with a critical ear, other times desk or car dancing (thanks Daft Punk) all the while appreciating the challenging as well as catchy. For anyone doubtful on the future of music, there is something for pretty much everyone to appreciate somewhere in these 100 great records.


Previously I used to write small reviews for each album, I just simply do not have the time to do so now. I have been doing these lists for almost a decade now and they seem to keep growing every year as my taste and thirst for new music grows. So I only wrote reviews for my 5 favorites. As time moves on more reviews may surface.


Looking through this list it is hard to believe how many great albums are so close to the bottom 100, I actually spent a good deal of time making sure the order was representative of what I thought of each record in comparison to the others. It was a challenging job but I am happy with the outcome and extremely confident in every choice made here. There were a lot of new faces this year as well which makes me even more hopeful for the future. Also keep in mind these are all full length studio albums, there are no compilations, EPs, or singles listed here. This is important to notate as every passing year I hear how the album is a dying medium yet here I am celebrating 100 more fantastic works of art that were just released in the past 12 months. As stated above not all of these are going to be everyone’s cup of tea, I pride myself on my diversity, plus I have one of the most polarizing figures on here (hi Yeezus). It is still fun to turn people onto new sounds as well as have arguments/disagreements/discussions about album placements.



100.Danny Brown – Old

99.Touche Amore – Is Survived By

98. Blood Orange – Cupid Deluxe

97.Smith Westerns – Soft Will

96.Earl Sweatshirt – Doris

95.Yuck – Glow and Behold

94.Chvrhes – The Bones of What You Believe

93.Flaming Lips – The Terror

92.The National – Trouble Will Find Me

91.Wire – Change Becomes Us


90.Haxan Cloak – Excavation

89.Future Bible Heroes – Partygoing

88.Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Mosquito

87.Crash of Rhinos – Knots

86.Speedy Ortiz – Major Arcana

85.No Age – An Object

84.Thundercat – Apocalypse

83.Thee Oh Sees – Floating Coffin

82.Juliana Barwick – Nepenthe

81.Holy Ghost! – Dynamics


80.Cults – Static

79.Ghostface Killah and Adrian Younge – Twelve Reasons to Die

78.Nine Inch Nails – Hesitation Marks

77.Forest Swords – Engravings

76.Tim Hecker – Virgins

75.Oneohtrix Point Never – R Plus Seven

74.Jim James – Regions of Light and the Sound

73.The Field – Cupid’s Head

72.Janelle Monae – The Electric Lady

71.Tyler, The Creator – Wolf


70.Depeche Mode – Delta Machine

69.Doldrums – Lesser Evil

68.David Bowie – The Next Day

67.Wavves – Afraid of Heights

66.Phoenix – Bankrupt!

65.Grouper – The Man Who Died In His Boat

64.Action Bronson/Party Supplies – Blue Chips 2

63.Cakes Da Killa – The Eulogy

62.Chance the Rapper – Acid Rap

61.Tegan and Sara – Heartthrob


60.Iceage – You’re Nothing

59.Baths – Obsidian

58.James Blake – Overgrown

57.The Men – New Moon

56.Queens of the Stone Age – Like Clockwork

55.Johnny Marr – The Messenger

54.No Joy – Wait to Pleasure

53.Mazzy Star – Seasons of Your Day

52.Eleanor Friedberger – Personal Record

51.Heliocentrics – 13 Degrees of Reality


50.Yo La Tengo-Fade

49.Cut Copy – Free Your Mind

48.Los Campesions! – No Blues

47.DJ Rashad – Double Cup

46.M.I.A. – Matangi

45.Ty Segall – Sleeper

44.Sigur Ros – Kveikur

43.Julia Holter – Loud City Song

42.Waxahatchee – Cerulean Salt

41.Run The Jewels – Run The Jewels


40.Mikal Cronin – MCII

39.Kelela – Cut 4 Me

38.Jon Hopkins – Immunity

37.Bill Callahan – Dream River

36.Dismemberment Plan – Uncanney Valley

35.Darkside – Psychic

34.Atoms For Peace – AMOK

33.Kanye West - Yeezus

32. Death Grips – Government Plates

31.Pusha T – My Name is My Name


30.Youth Lagoon – Wondrous Bughouse
29.Fuck Buttons – Slow Focus

28.Mutual Benefit – Love’s Crushing Diamond

27.Washed Out - Paracosm

26.Arctic Monkeys – AM

25.Neko Case – The Worse Things Get, The Harder I Fight

24.DJ Koze – Amygdala

23.Phosphorescent – Muchacho

22.Foxygen-We are the 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace and Magic

21.Haim – Days Are Gone


20.Deafheaven – Sunbather

19. Boards of Canada – Tomorrow’s Harvest

18.Dirty Beaches – Drifters/Love is the Devil

17.Kurt Vile – Waking on a Pretty Daze

16.Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Push the Sky Away

15.Cass McCombs – Big Wheel and Others

14.Superchunk – I Hate Music

13.Savages – Silence Yourself

12.Autre Ne Veut – Anxiety

11.Majical Cloudz – Impersonator


10.The Knife – Shaking the Habitual

9.Arcade Fire - Reflektor

8.Disclosure – Settle

7.Daft Punk – Random Access Memories

6.These New Puritans – Field of Reeds


5.Deerhunter – Monomania
Scaling back from the grand experiments made on the excellent “Halcyon Digest”, the unbelievably consistent Deerhunter decided to make a dirty rock record. While this is surely fuzzy and abrasive in spots you do get some genuine moments of beauty as one has come to expect from this band. Guitarist Lockett Pundt included one of his very best songs on the gorgeous “The Missing” following up on the promise he made on last year’s excellent Lotus Plaza album “Spooky Action at a Distance” one of my favorite albums from 2012 that I still play regularly. Elsewhere the blues influenced “Pensacola” is easily one of my favorite songs of the year, a chill inducing travelogue set to a scuffed up Bo Diddley backbeat. The dichotomy of sounds throughout should make for a non-cohesive frustrating listen but the entire thing holds together perfectly. As soon as you think these songs are going to fall apart they are not only held together but completely succeed in the assumed chaos. While I obviously missed some of the sheer beauty of the now classic “Halcyon Digest” and “Microcastle” initially, this album actually matches those in terms of sheer bombast and ambition. I’ve said it before but Deerhunter may be the single greatest rock band on the planet right now and as evidenced here rather than rest on their laurels they actually made a left turn and continued to succeed beautifully making another instant classic.


4.Pissed Jeans – Honeys
Taking the best aspects of 90s noise rock (Shellac/Fugazi/Jesus Lizard) and melding it into something completely their own, these Philly guys hit the mark perfectly here on their fourth album. This is a perfect angst ridden record for the mid 30s office worker raised on Black Flag’s “My War” and Amphetamine Reptile Records compilations (shocking that I relate to and adore this record so much). Guitar player Brad Fry is slowly becoming one of my favorites at this very moment, he is simply on fire throughout this entire record and his riffs compliment Matt Korvette’s sometimes hilarious lyrics about the mundane existence of us working stiffs. Check out the sludgy “Cafeteria Food” and the all out aural assault of “Health Plan”for just two examples, the latter of which has one of the best lines on the record “You want to know my secret? I stay away from doctors yeah that's how I stay fit”. All the steps forward this band made on their excellent previous album“King of Jeans” are perfectly executed here resulting in possibly their most satisfying album yet. Not for the faint of heart, but for anyone who wants to relieve some stress and maybe have a good laugh this album should be in regular rotation.

3.Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City
If one ever had any doubts of this band’s potential or was turned off by the initial hype surrounding them, this album should surely alleviate any doubts of what a monstrous force Vampire Weekend truly have become. By far their best album to date, it starts with one of the most gorgeous album openers heard in years and follows that up with my favorite song of the year, the tearful yet joyous “Unbelievers”. When this track is heard on its own it is a life-changing experience but in the context of his incredibly perfect album it only makes it better. This record basically consolidates all of VW’s many strengths. There are fun harpsichord tracks that wouldn’t sound out of place in a Wes Anderson film; there are beautiful ballads all of which are all executed with a newfound maturity and completely with over the top literary lyrics that demand/reward re-listening. It is always exciting to watch a band grow but this meteoric rise has to be one of the most impressive in recent times. This album also shows a remarkable range of styles from upbeat spiritual singalongs like “Ya Hey” or the mellow mood piece “Hudson”, it all comes together astonishingly in one of the most impressive releases of the year.

2.Laura Marling – Once I Was an Eagle

Deceivingly simple yet incredibly ambitious, Laura Marling’s fourth album, is easily one of this year’s very best. The opening suite of songs flows together effortlessly, her finger picking guitar style sometimes reminiscent of Nick Drake or Elliot Smith. Folky but forward thinking, the Joni Mitchell comparisons are somewhat unavoidable yet absolutely nothing about this record seems derivative. There is an almost Zeppelin esque hugeness to some of these songs, the same way Pink Floyd made the acoustic “Fearless” sound like herd of elephants stampeding in your ears. The mellow moments are just as effective but equally all consuming, an impressive feat for a 23 year old. While her previous work was more focused in British folk, this album shows more of a fanfare for 70s west coast singer/songwriter territory. Not to say this album is one sided, as it shows many facets of this courageous artists vision, but the newfound pacific coast highlights add a shimmer to an already impressive batch of songs. Incredibly visionary, extremely cohesive, Marling has made a insta-classic that will probably remain a constant favorite for years to come.

1.My Bloody Valentine – MBV
It was a cold Saturday night last February, there were rumors throughout the day that after a 22 year long wait, the long-awaited follow up to one of the 90’s most treasured albums My Bloody Valentine’s “Loveless” will finally be heard. I was skeptical of course but it seemed more likely with every passing twitter/facebook update I was getting from all of my music related news sources that it could finally happen. I knew there was no possible way it would even come close to the majestic glory that is “Loveless” or even the previous album, the excellent “Isn’t Anything”but still just to be able to hear Kevin Shields guitar with Bilinda Butcher’s barely audible yet haunting vocals on anything new was enough to send shivers up my spine in pure anticipation. Then it happened, after numerous site crashes it was finally unleashed on an unsuspecting world. Whenever I speak of My Bloody Valentine I tend to warn the uninitiated that they are a “grower” band, meaning that it takes a few listens to really recognize the genius and beauty of their music behind the multiple layers and walls of sheer sonic force. Surprisingly what hit me almost immediately with this record was that its beauty was evident on the very first listen. I thought I was letting my excitement overshadow the music, that there was no possible way what I was hearing was actually this good. After a good 50 listens during the first couple of days alone I knew that my contentment and ultimate satisfaction were in fact completely warranted as this album was every bit the masterpiece of their previous work. The album is only 9 songs in 46 minutes, but seems to fly by in half that time. It is sequenced rather bizarrely, almost sounding like three separate EPs played back to back rather than a cohesive long playing album. Somehow this sequencing benefits the album greatly, taking you on a sonic journey complete with towering peaks and valleys. The fact that this record sounds like it could have been released a year after “Loveless” but still sounds completely contemporary in today’s musical climate shows just how truly timeless this work is. It is a hauntingly beautiful masterpiece that probably won’t be topped until they decide to release another album, hopefully we won’t have to wait as long this time.

Various Other Favorites from 2013:

Compliations/Reissues (in no order):


Rilo Kiley – Rkives

Shuggie Otis – Inspiration Information

Bob Dylan – Another Self Portrait

Belle and Sebastian – The Third Eye Centre

Peter Jefferies – The Last Great Challenge in a Dull World

Robbie Basho – Visions of the Country

Four Tet – Rounds

Mountain Goats - All Hail West Texas

Songs:Ohia – Magnolia Electric Company


Top 5 shows:

5. Deafheaven – The Barbary. Philadelphia, PA.July 1st2013
4. Quicksand – Riotfest. Chicago, IL.September 15th 2013
3. Pissed Jeans - Pitchfork Music Festival. Chicago, IL. July 20th 2013
2. TNGHT – Pitchfork Music Festival. Chicago, IL. July 21st2013
1. The Replacements– Riotfest.Chicago, IL. September 15th2013


Top 5 Songs:

5.Majical Cloudz – “Silver Rings”

4.Daft Punk featuring Panda Bear –“Doin it Right”

3.My Bloody Valentine – “New You”

2.Deerhunter – “Pensacola”

1.Vampire Weekend – “Unbelievers”