Best of 2014: Songs

The number of songs this year to make the chopping block on this list was down considerably from last year and that being said this year seemed to be a better year for songs than albums (read into that what you will). As always, I have linked the Spotify playlist of my favorite songs from 2014. Same rules apply that the songs had to come from an album released in 2014 (hence no "i" by Kendrick Lamar or "To The Top" by Twin Shadow) and I only pick one song per band/album otherwise there'd by a dozen songs from Future Islands and Tennis on the list.

30) Cold War Kids - All This Could Be Yours
29) Childish Gambino - Sober
28) Mastadon - The Motherload
27) Ryan Adams - Gimme Something Good
26) The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Eurydice
25) Lo-Fang - #88
24) Hozier - Take Me to Church
23) alt-J - Hunger Of The Pine
22) Lana Del Rey - West Coast
21) Temples - Shelter Song
20) Dum Dum Girls - Rimbaud Eyes
19) Perfume Genius - Queen
18) Ghost Beach - Close Enough (feat Noosa)
17) London Grammar - Wasting My Young Years
16) Nothing - Dig
15) Tennis - I'm Callin'
14) Little Dragon - Klapp Klapp
13) Caribou - Can't Do Without You
12) The New Pornographers - Brill Bruisers
11) Interpol - All The Rage Back Home
10) Wye Oak - Shriek
9) Foster The People - Coming of Age
8) Sia - Chandelier
7) Delta Spirit - From Now On
6) Death From Above 1979 - White Is Red
5) Manchester Orchestra - Top Notch
4) OK Go - The Writing's on the Wall
3) Spoon - Inside Out
2) Beck - Blue Moon
1) Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting On You)

Best of 2013: Film

It seems to me that as television continues to get stronger each year the options at the local cineplex seem to be worse and worse. However, between all of the sequels, remakes and Adam Sandler movies there were several great movies. It was an especially good year for movies based on true stories and a couple of completely original instant classics.


10) Captain Phillips

9) American Hustle

8) Inside Llewyn Davis

7) This Is The End

6) In A World...

5) Philomena

4) Dallas Buyer's Club

3) 12 Years A Slave

2) Gravity

1) Her

Honorable Mention:

Frances Ha
The Heat
Nebraska
Oblivion
The Spectacular Now
Star Trek Into Darkness
The Way Way Back
The Wolf of Wall Street

Best of 2013: Television

Each year I try to keep up with the shows I enjoy and add other new shows that might show up on my radar. I'm certainly not a professional critic but I often feel overwhelmed by the social responsibility to be current on the best shows on television (or in the case of this year Netflix). There's probably a dozen shows I had every intention of watching (Orphan Black, The Blacklist, Ray Donovan, Enlightened) or catching up on (Mad Men, The League, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) but just couldn't. Sometimes you have to remember that no matter how much you try or how much time you dedicate, you can't watch, read or listen to everything.

2013 marked the end of one of TV's best dramas but it also saw the debut of several fantastic shows. I feel bad for a show like Game of Thrones which had it's strongest season thus far and in some prior years might have been a top five show for me but because of the crowded field Game of Thrones along with Homeland just missed my list.

10) Brooklyn Nine-Nine

I was very excited for Brooklyn Nine-Nine based on the cast and creative team which was largely responsible for Parks and Recreation. I can confidently say that Brooklyn Nine-Nine has come out of the gate faster than it's predecessors The Office and Parks and Recreation. The ensemble cast has coalesced immediately and I laugh more in the first break of Brooklyn Nine-Nine than I do watching just about any other show.

9) Orange Is the New Black

I vaguely remember someone telling me Orange Is the New Black started slow but finished strong. I'd like to thank the person who gave me that tip because after about five episodes I almost gave up. The first half of the season was by no means bad but it felt like a guilty pleasure with no deep character development. However, the last few episodes were excellent and contained some very powerful and lasting scenes including the final scene of the season which was about as memorable as anything I saw this year.

8) Veep

The sharpest and quickest humor of perhaps any show on television. Veep is the funniest show that you haven't watched yet.

7) Justified

It was another solid season for Justified. It never pretends to be the most serious drama on television but it's well written, well acted and as entertaining as any other drama around. If you can name me a cooler character on television than Raylan Givens, I'd sure like to hear it.

6) Parks and Recreation

It might not have the laughs per minute of the aforementioned Veep but Parks and Recreation has the greatest group of characters for any television comedy since The Simpsons. Not only is it a very funny show but it manages to have more heart than any other comedy of television right now.

5) The Americans

The premise of Russian spies living in the United States with a new neighbor who happens to be an FBI agent sounds like a preposterous premise but creator and former CIA officer Joe Weisberg walks the tightrope of believability with impeccable balance.

4) Boardwalk Empire

Another fantastic twelve episodes from Boardwalk Empire in what was announced to be the penultimate fourth season. It was very difficult to replace character of Gyp Rosetti and the performance by Bobby Cannavale but increased roles from other characters helped pick up the slack. I'm disappointed this year's season will be the last but it good that it will go out while still one of the best shows around.

3) Hannibal

The tone of Hannibal is simultaneously psychologically disturbing and beautiful. It has the most beautiful cinematography of any series in network television history while also showing more blood and gore than any network program ever has. If you were ever frightened by Dexter in the least, then Hannibal will leave you with nightmares.

2) House of Cards

This wasn't the first original series on Netflix but this was the game-changer. Getting big names like Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright and David Fincher showed that they were serious but the stunning visual imagery and quality of the writing are what make this a phenomenally engrossing drama about a subject that is often very dull. House of Cards plays the small moments as well as any program in the medium.

1) Breaking Bad

It was a pretty easy decision when the best show of the last six years ended in spectacular fashion. It's a good sign when the biggest complaint from fans of the show was that the finale tied up all of the storylines too neatly. The writing, acting and cinematography stayed first rate which is what makes Breaking Bad quite possibly the best serialized drama in the history of television.

Honorable Mention:

Arrested Development
Bate's Motel
The Bridge
Comedy Bang Bang
Game of Thrones
Girls
Homeland
Key & Peele
Nathan For You
The Walking Dead

Best of 2013: Albums

I don't think I'm breaking a lot of new ground with this list but hopefully there is an album or two that you missed. To be honest this year wasn't quite as strong for new music as last year based on my recollection of constructing last year's list but I'm confident in the top ten I was able to come up with below.

10) Blood Orange - Cupid Deluxe

This isn't a make up pick but if I had heard the debut album from Blood Orange entitled Coastal Grooves when it was released in 2011 it almost certainly would've made my top ten list. Lucky for me, I didn't have to wait long for the latest effort Cupid Deluxe which is equally unique and pleasing to the ear.

9) Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City

Modern Vampires of the City is a great album. Don't take my word for it. In the past few weeks it's been named album of the year by Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, NPR listeners and many others. It doesn't have the same energy as the self titled debut but it is much more refined and has a terrific combination of melody and lyrics.

8) Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

The first studio album from Daft Punk since 2005 was a hit in every sense of the word. It received nearly universal acclaim from critics, has been nominated for an Album of the Year Grammy and the single 'Get Lucky' which was arguably the song of the year has sold over 7 million copies. All that being said, what's popular isn't always good but in this case they go hand in hand.

7) Russian Circles - Memorial

This late release almost slid under the radar as I gave it a listen or two when it was released in late October but coming back to it recently I was blown away by the tone, precision and heavy riffs on Memorial. It's the 5th album from the Chicago based instrumental rock band and it might be the best they've ever made.

6) Haim - Days Are Gone

Three sisters from Los Angeles fronting a band might sound like a gimmick but Haim's music is anything but. Haim started gaining traction last year with the release of a couple singles and their debut album Days Are Gone is chock-full of catchy tunes that propelled them onto Saturday Night Live and mainstream radio.

5) Queens of the Stone Age - Like Clockwork

Like Clockwork is the first album from Queens of the Stone Age in six years was worth the wait. It's the best pure rock album of the year and good from beginning to end.

4) Arcade Fire - Reflektor

After winning Album of the Year at The Grammys for The Suburbs it would've been easy for Arcade Fire to rest on their laurels but they certainly haven't done that. Whether you love Reflektor or hate it, you can't say it wasn't a departure. I happen to fall into the camp that loves it but that was thanks in part to a secret show at The Hollywood Palladium right after the album's release in which played almost the entire record. It's been in constant rotation ever since that show.

3) Typhoon - White Lighter

This was my favorite discovery of the year. Somehow, I stumbled upon the tremendous track 'Young Fathers' and it wasn't until a couple months later that I went back to listen to the entire record which blew my away. It was something very different but at the same time sounded like something I've been hearing for years.

2) Volcano Choir - Repave

Like most right thinking music fans, I'm eagerly anticipating the next Bon Iver album but Justin Vernon has been keeping himself very busy with several other projects, most notably Volcano Choir. He appeared on albums by Kanye West, Polica, The Shouting Matches and The Blind Boys of Alabama but it was the sophomore effort from Volcano Choir that stood out. It's difficult to describe the genre of music other than just calling it great.

1) The National - Trouble Will Find Me

The National has been a favorite of mine since I discovered them in 2007 after the release of their critically acclaimed album Boxer. This marks the third consecutive album of theirs to make my best of list but the first to come in at number one. I fell in love with Trouble Will Find Me after the first listen and after seeing them live at the Greek Theatre in August, my appreciation for the album only grew. Trouble Will Find Me doesn't have a single bad track and many of them are phenomenal.

Honorable Mention:

CHVRCHES - The Bones Of What You Believe
Daughter - If You Leave
Har Mar Superstar - Bye Bye 17
Junip - Junip
Kanye West - Yeezus
M83 - Oblivion (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks
Pelican - Forever Becoming
Rhye - Woman
Youth Lagoon - Wondrous Bughouse

Belated mention (my favorite album from 2012 that I discovered in 2013):

Caspian - Waking Season