Check out my #OneJamPerDay on Twitter.
If you like my taste in music or are just interested in finding new songs and old favorites, I post a song on my Twitter page under #OneJamPerDay. I’ve been going strong since May of 2013. My only rule is not to repeat an artist (I make exceptions for guests spots or other project they are involved in)
There may be inappropriate language on songs or in the music videos, so please be careful how or with who you listen/watch.
These 2014 music lists will most likely look like no other you’ll see, mostly because my tastes run the gamut of genres. I could care less how popular a song or album is. I base my taste in music solely on the feeling a song gives me, and the cohesiveness of an album. I guarantee I will have more “jam band/roots rock” material than most. The old cliché that these types of artists can only play live and struggle to make quality studio albums needs to stop. I’m sure I’ll have songs that will legit scare people who only listen to top 40, and there will be songs that make hipsters judge me for being too poppy. I’m cool with both. The artistic craft involved in music is incredibly important to me, but if taken so seriously that a simple, immediate, catchy song is no longer appealing, it’s time to reevaluate.
Rules:
-No songs/singles meant for release on full-length 2015 albums. (Belle and Sebastian, Sleater-Kinney, Mac Lethal, The Stone Foxes, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Kendrick Lamar, Dylan Owen, The Decemberists, Mark Ronson, etc…)
-No exceptions for random release dates. I go by the common release date and don’t care if it was re-released again at some point later or in a different place. (I’m looking at you Wild Cub, Courtney Barnett, Cowbell, Lucius, The Strypes, etc…) It just makes things easier.
I listened to damn near every album imaginable multiple times, so if you want to know more about why I like a certain song/album, please be in touch. On the flip side, if you feel like a song or album deserved to be on the list, there is a 99% chance I listened to it and can explain my thoughts. Lord knows how much music is released every year. Just because something is not one of my favorites doesn’t mean I didn’t like it. And keep in mind that I’ve never and will never claim “BEST.” These are simply my personal favorites of the year.
Artist/Album of the Year: The War on Drugs-Lost in the Dream
Rapper of the Year: yU
Shockingly Good Album of the Year: Railroad Earth-Last of the Outlaws
Album Way Ahead of Its Time: Ra Scion-Sharper Tool; Bigger Weapon.
Artist with the Most Potential: Curtis Harding
“Oops” of the Year: U2 thinking they were smart
Dumbest feud of the year (which was totally one-sided): Mark Kozelek vs. The War on Drugs
Fun, Mindless Album of the Year: Duck Sauce-Quack. If this album and songs like Everyone (With Teddy Toothpick) can’t put you in a good mood, nothing will.
Fun Song (In the same way that people say they like Iggy Azalea…The next time I can get through that entire song will be the first time): Major Lazer-Aerosol Can (With Pharrell) It’s interesting that Pharrell is on the track, considering this sounds like a sped-up minimalistic Neptunes beat.
Best Reunion Song: Jurassic 5-The Way We Do It
Most Overrated Song of the Year: Beyonce-7/11-Even if I don’t like a song, I can generally find a way to understand why it becomes popular. I have no clue with this one, except for the fact that it’s made by Beyonce. It’s not good, deep, catchy or, immediate. I even listened to it a couple times over a length of time to see if it would grow on me, and nope. Awful, awful song.
Song to use as torture/Song everyone with a young child hates-Tegan & Sara-Everything is Awesome!!! (With The Lonely Island)
Runner-Up: Stiches-Brick in Your Face
Most Important Song: Dizzy Wright-I Need Answers (With Nikkiya). This was made in September, before things really got out of control.
Music Video That Makes You Question the World’s Intelligence: Hitchhiker-11
Creepiest Music Video-FKA Twigs-Video Girl
Best Cover: John Butler Trio-Happy (Pharrell Cover)
Song I discovered this year (released in September, 2013) that I wish I could make my number 1, but gotta stick to my rule: Animal Eyes-Bender
Artists who released albums that critics salivated over, but I’m not as high on. (This doesn’t mean I don’t like the album, it just means that I’m not seeing what most others see. Many of these artists actually had songs in my top 200) Listed alphabetically:
Allah-Las, Alt-J, Alvvays, Andy Stott, Aphex Twin, Conor Oberst, Drive-By Truckers, East India Youth, EMA, FKA Twigs, Flying Lotus, Foxygen, Future Islands, Hookworms, Hospitality, Indiana, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Interpol, Jack White, Liars, Little Dragon, Lykke Li, Lana Del Rey, Mac DeMarco, Metronomy, The New Pornographers, Ought, Parquet Courts, Perfect Pussy, Perfume Genius, Phantogram, Real Estate, Shabazz Palaces, Shakey Graves Sharon Van Etten, St. Vincent, Sturgill Simpson, Sun Kill Moon, Swans, Sylvan Esso, Taylor, Tweedy
