Annual Music Reviews: December 2014

Top 10 Albums of 2014

Frankmusik -- By Nicole

This album is amazing through and through and there is not a bad song in the bunch, which is awesome for a 15-track album. He is obviously pissed at whoever Nicole is or represents and I love the lyrics! "you only get so many chances when you consistently do wrong" from Fire and "must be a wonderful existence when you don't care what you lose" from Stabilzher just kill it!! And his voice, wow! Great album!Favorite Tracks: Fire, Conclusions & Stabilizher

Foxes -- Glorious

Pop production, awesome vocals and lots of twinkly piano!

Favorite Tracks: White Coats, Let Go For Tonight & Count the Saints

Kylie Minogue -- Kiss Me Once

I love Kylie!! She always brings us such fun pop songs and this album did not disappoint. And such sexy songs! Les Sex, Sexercise and Sexy Love -- we get it Kylie, you're fucking sexy :) And I love the line in Les Sex where Kylie let's us know, "in the dark we don't say 'no' we say 'yes please'". Yes please Miss Minogue!!
Favorite Tracks: Sexy Love, Les Sex & Fine

The Veronicas -- Self Titled

This is one hell of a pop rock album; those harmonies, those guitar, those seething lyrics! I had to wait until the end of the year for this one to be released but it's fast become one of my favorite albums.
Favorite Tracks: Cruel, Born Bob Dylan & More Like Me

Foo Fighters -- Sonic Highways

I know I have more appreciation for this album than some of the others because I watched what went into it on the HBO series of the same name, but that doesn't take away from how amazing it is. I love how deliberate and well planned it is. Each track is based on a city the band visited and recorded in and there are only 8 tracks: Chicago, DC, Nashville, Austin, LA, New Orleans, Seattle & NY. Only 8 tracks but each song is jam-packed with guests such as Joe Walsh & Ben Gibbard and produced by Butch Vig, it's quite a rocking album!
Favorite Tracks: Something From Nothing, Congregation & I Am a River

Ariana Grande -- My Everything

When I sat down to listen to this album, an issue became immediately apparent: these tracks are not in the right order! There was absolutely no flow of the songs, they appear to be front-loaded with all the hits and the end of the album fell flat. Well, I fixed that by putting the songs in a more listenable order and the album is quite good. There are a bit too many guests for my taste, but if you can overlook another boring rap bridge by Big Sean, you can enjoy this album too. Her vocals are beautiful and smooth and I just adore pop music so this is right up my alley!
Favorite Tracks: One Last Time, Love Me Harder & You Don't Know Me

Sia -- 1000 Forms of Fear

This is an amazing pop album from a wonderful songwriter. A good listen all the way.
Favorite Tracks: Chandelier, Eye of the Needle & Free the Animal

Lana Del Rey -- Ultraviolence

This album has an old school late 60s early 70s feel that makes me think my dad might appreciate it also. Her voice is so chill and then she smacks you with lyrics like "he hit me and it felt like a kiss" from the title track. Whoa.
Favorite Tracks: Ultraviolence, West Coast & Pretty When You Cry

Rob Cantor -- Not a Trampoline

Quirky and fun, this album has great musicianship from the man who brought us "Shia LeBeouf". Twinkly piano, awesome guitar sounds and a few different female guest vocals (Madi Diaz, Jhameel and Alia Marie who does a mean Xtina impression on the song Old Bike) -- awesome!
Favorite Tracks: Ghost, Garden of Eden & The Rendezvous

Tori Amos -- Unrepentant Geraldines

There are 14 tracks on the album -- 6 are amazing, 5 are solid and 3 I don't care for. When I remove those 3 songs it's still a solid 11 songs and the strength of Tori's ballads cannot be denied. Bitch knows how to close an album.
Favorite Tracks: Promise, Oysters & Invisible Boy