Originally published on the old KLC Tumblr blog: December 31, 2014
Countdown KLC’s top albums of 2014 as you countdown to 2015! Over 100 artists were mentioned in our staff & DJs’ top ten lists, but here are the ten that we as a station can agree were our favorites of 2014:
1. Parquet Courts -Sunbathing Animal
"This album has amazing choruses while still managing brim with awesome content. Every time I listen to it, another hook or riff will get stuck in my head and travel around with me for days."
-Emily VanKoughnett, Events Manager
"Ranging from catchy punk jams ('Black and White') to rock ‘n’ roll Ballads ('Instant Disassembly') PQ somehow comfortably remind you of your impending death."
- Cameron Crowell, Asst. Promotions Manager
2. Run the Jewels -Run the Jewels 2
"It rules. Listening to it is like drinking a gallon of espresso without the jitters. It will make you understand the true power of friendship. You’ll be able to punch God in the face if you want. Just listen to it."
- John Durant, DJ
"So fucking fat and groovy and hip and contemporary and relevant and it slaapps."
- Nick Pimentel, Recording Studio Manager
3. Mac DeMarco -Salad Days
"Mac Demarco is the king of effortlessly cool jams and in a year where too many artists feel like they try too hard to be hip, Demarco’s happy slacker attitude is totally refreshing. Salad Days is goofy and sweet, pretty much everything you wished your nonexistent boyfriend would be."
- Carly Stevenson, DJ
4. FKA Twigs -LP1
"FKA is young, beautiful, and unwilling to compromise. I can’t wait to see where she takes us next. Meanwhile, jam up on the 'woozy and sad, like a wizard who just stabbed his son' tastes of LP1."
- Anna Smith
5. Foxygen -…And Star Power
"Whether this album is genius or a discombobulated digression for Foxygen is debatable, but the weird, fun, and moving double album was a hit for me."
- Anna McClain, Music Director
"Cold light of morning On the dusty glass window HOT maple syrup"
- Ciara Dolan, Promotions Manager
6. Flying Lotus -You’re Dead!
"Flying Lotus has made one of the most accessible jazz-fusion albums I have ever heard."
- Joseph Arzt, Archive Manager
7. Angel Olsen -Burn Your Fire For No Witness
You can talk about Sad Boys all you want, but Angel Olsen is my favorite Sad Girl. So fuck the Sad Boys (sorry I know you’re being subversive or whatever) and listen to a record with amazing lyrics and riffs. It’ll make you want to fuck some shit up and cry at the same time.
- Emily VanKoughnett
8. Cherry Glazerr -Haxel Princess
The debut album from this teen band features some sophisticated tracks couched in intimate moments, even if they are about sweaty faces and bloody bandaids.
- Anna McClain
9. Sylvan Esso -Sylvan Esso
I came late to Sylvan Esso, but by the time that I got to it, the album already felt familiar. Sylvan Esso is exactly the kind of electro-sad-ballad-pop that gets under my skin.
- Kaiya Gordon, DJ
10. St. Vincent - St. Vincent
Annie Clark is an alien space empress, sent to this world to jiggle booties and slay bass lines. St. Vincent will transport you to the future world that their music expresses. Self described as “party music you could play at a funeral,” this album is clearly multi-dimensional, and no event (i.e. your life) is complete without it, so you best take a listen.
- Anna Smith, Asst. Music Director
Honorable Mentions:
Nabuma Rubberband - Little Dragon
Crush Songs - Karen O
Rips - Ex Hex
The Physical World - Death From Above 1979
This post is part of The KLC blog Archive. The previous & now defunct KLC blog, formally known as The Umbrella, can be found here.