*** Reaper's Favorite Albums of 2014 ***

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by NewChief

I'd listened to Benji a couple of times. I was planning on returning to it in the last month or so of the year. Then SKM's whole beef with War on Drugs became such a distraction from that album that I just totally wrote it off. I need to go back and listen to it some more, but I'm just kind of done with Kozelek at this point. I'm finding he and Morrissey to be equally insufferable twats.

I'm fine with Kozelek being a miserably serious live performer cuz his asshole schtick is hilarious to me. He's become the Steve Spurrier of indie/folk rock and that's totally endearing to me.

I'm absolutely more irritated by the onslaught of handwringing articles and tweets from sanctimonious music critics about Kozelek than I am Kozelek's surliness itself.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

I'm fine with Kozelek being a miserably serious live performer cuz his asshole schtick is hilarious to me. He's become the Steve Spurrier of indie/folk rock and that's totally endearing to me.

I'm absolutely more irritated by the onslaught of handwringing articles and tweets from sanctimonious music critics about Kozelek than I am Kozelek's surliness itself.

That Koz just KEPT trolling them is what annoyed me. Yes, that the bloggers kept taking the troll bait was equally annoying, but that Koz just kept going.. and kept going after WoD when they clearly wanted no part of some feud is what annoyed me. At a certain point, it really started to feel like bullying to me.

Now, I think that Koz was completely doing it just for kicks and to keep his name in the hype cycle, but that the "feud" was so one-sided made it feel a little icky after a bit.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by NewChief

That Koz just KEPT trolling them is what annoyed me. Yes, that the bloggers kept taking the troll bait was equally annoying, but that Koz just kept going.. and kept going after WoD when they clearly wanted no part of some feud is what annoyed me. At a certain point, it really started to feel like bullying to me.

Now, I think that Koz was completely doing it just for kicks and to keep his name in the hype cycle, but that the "feud" was so one-sided made it feel a little icky after a bit.

I have a theory that Kozelek didn't like all the extremely positive attention the music press was giving him after releasing Benji so he sabotaged his own hype. He seems like a guy who'd be like "You're just NOW getting around to praising me this much? I've been putting out albums for 20 years. **** you."

[NewChief]

By the way, and I'm sure you listened to this already, but did you listen to Sivyj Yar From the Dead Villages' Darkness?

The Gum best of Metal list turned me on to it when they said that "Distant Haze was Arising" was the best metal song of 2014. I confess that the song does hit me on a lot of different levels.

[Reaper16]

Originally Posted by NewChief

By the way, and I'm sure you listened to this already, but did you listen to Sivyj Yar From the Dead Villages' Darkness?

The Gum best of Metal list turned me on to it when they said that "Distant Haze was Arising" was the best metal song of 2014. I confess that the song does hit me on a lot of different levels.

I haven't heard of it until now, probably because I'm not in the habit of reading metal reviews on the big sites. Looking at the Stereogum metal list, I'm reminded of what's always been neat about the metal scene to me: there's SO MUCH small label stuff that individual recommendations carry a lot more weight than with most other genres. That track was very nice, if a little familar. I'll listen to the whole album.

I see that Stereogum put the new Blut Aus Nord album at #1. Truthfully, when I was ranking my albums I put that one at #28. But I thought I was writing up too many metal albums as is, and wanted to highlight a bit more diversity.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Reaper16

I haven't heard of it until now, probably because I'm not in the habit of reading metal reviews on the big sites. Looking at the Stereogum metal list, I'm reminded of what's always been neat about the metal scene to me: there's SO MUCH small label stuff that individual recommendations carry a lot more weight than with most other genres. That track was very nice, if a little familar. I'll listen to the whole album.

I see that Stereogum put the new Blut Aus Nord album at #1. Truthfully, when I was ranking my albums I put that one at #28. But I thought I was writing up too many metal albums as is, and wanted to highlight a bit more diversity.

Yeah. That metal list is like an indie metal list (a lot of metal fans I showed it to said they recognized like 3 bands in the list). It's cool though that in a small genre that much breadth and depth exists.

[Oz_Chief]

I think AC/DC "Rock or Bust" should be on your list.

I actually think their run of albums from 2000 - 2014 is some of their best material, right behind the Bon Scott years.

Your list is very well put together. I appreciate it and enjoy it. Thanks especially for taking the time to include all of the material.

[QuikSsurfer]

I'd remove Agalloch and Opeth. Releases were forgettable.
I'd add Dark Fortress, The Contortionist and Pallbearer (seriously) in there.
Ne Obliviscaris should be higher, IMO.

And I love Alcest

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by QuikSsurfer

I'd remove Agalloch and Opeth. Releases were forgettable.
I'd add Dark Fortress, The Contortionist and Pallbearer (seriously) in there.
Ne Obliviscaris should be higher, IMO.

And I love Alcest

You liked Pallbearer's album better than YOB's in the doom category?

[QuikSsurfer]

Originally Posted by NewChief

You liked Pallbearer's album better than YOB's in the doom category?

So tough!
I wore both of them out.. I'd probably give Pallbearer the edge.

edit: I agree about "year of Doom" -- some great ones this year; Electric Wizard, Sun O)))

[NewChief]

Oh! I remember another album that I had on my best of the year that didn't appear here:

This Will Destroy You, Another Language.

[QuikSsurfer]

Originally Posted by NewChief

Oh! I remember another album that I had on my best of the year that didn't appear here:

This Will Destroy You, Another Language.

There were some good Post-Rock albums released this year too.
This Will Destroy You, Helios, and Lowercase Noises -- all fantastic releases

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by QuikSsurfer

There were some good Post-Rock albums released this year too.
This Will Destroy You, Helios, and Lowercase Noises -- all fantastic releases

Your post reminded me how much I liked the Lantlos album.

[QuikSsurfer]

Originally Posted by NewChief

Your post reminded me how much I liked the Lantlos album.

Are you me?
I was listening to Melting Sun driving back from Arkansas yesterday.