December 30, 2014

There has always been a lot of music in this house, but I want Cozy to be surrounded by the best there is. I feel lucky that my mom loved jazz and I think I became a Brubeck fan in utero. As you can see from Cozy’s College of Music Knowledge, I’m a fan of the ancient art form known as the “album.” It represents a complete vision from an artist.

This is probably the last year for a while that I will be buying a lot of new albums. Music got us through the pregnancy and now sometimes helps baby sleep. My love of rap music took a back seat this year as a screaming baby and Killer Mike raging against the machine really don’t work well together.  But it was truly a great year of music.

It was also a great year for Latin music, highlighted by our road trip to LA to attend the Supersonico Fest, seeing Café Tacuba, Calle 13, and other great stars. I discovered so much great music listening to NPR’s Alt Latino podcast, I could do another Top 20 list of just Spanish language albums.

So these are the 20 albums I spent the most time with in 2014. Maybe not the best, but the ones I really connected with. The Against Me! album is easily #1. Perfectly crafted punk songs that give voice to the transgender experience. Maybe the most important record of the year.

Top 20 Favorite Albums of 2014

1. Against Me! – Transgender Dysphoria Blues
2. Beck – Morning Phase
3. Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers – Hypnotic Eye
4. St. Vincent – self titled
5. La Santa Cecelia – Someday New
6. The GHOASTT – Midnight Sun
7. Jack White – Lazaretto 
8. The War on Drugs – Lost in the Dream
9. Ages and Ages – Divisionary
10. Miranda Lambert – Platinum
11. Spoon – They Want My Soul
12. Ceci Bastida – La Edad de la Violencia
13. Thom Yorke – Tomorrow’s Modern Boxes
14. Ryan Adams – self-titled
15. Lucinda Williams – Down Where the Spirit Meets the Bone
16. FKA twigs –  LP1
17. Pacifika – Amor Planeta
18. Lily Allen – Sheezus
19. Chrissie Hynde – Stockholm
20. Lana del Ray – Ultraviolence

Honorable Mention

Various Artists – The Art of McCartney, New Pornographers – Bill Bruisers, Steelism – 615 to Fame, Sinead O’Connor – I’m Not Bossy, I’m the Boss, Beyoncé – self titled, Bob Dylan & the Band – The Basement Tapes Raw, Calle 13 – Entren Los Que Quieran, U2 – Songs of Innocence