The Best of 2014! In recorded form...

Well, again this is quite an overdue post, due to me really not having the motivation to keep this blog up-to-date anymore, but the top 10 is always an important one, so here it is! Yes, it's a top 10 this time. I dunno, 2014 did have obvious highlights, but for me, ten albums seemed to do it, with the quality dropping off enough after those releases to make the others not really worthy of inclusion. It's a shame! But ah well, here's the ten big ones:

10. Antemasque - Antemasque (USA)
9. Luca Brasi - By a Thread (Australia)
8. La Dispute - Rooms of the House (USA)
7. Swans - To Be Kind (USA)
6. Owen Pallett - In Conflict (Canada)
5. Ceres - I Don't Want to Be Anywhere But Here (Australia)
4. King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - I'm In Your Mind Fuzz (Australia)
3. Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues (USA)
2. Aphex Twin - Syro (UK)
1. The Smith Street Band - Throw Me in the River (Australia)

So as always, a bit of a geographical breakdown - four Aussies (including the all-important numero uno), four from the good ol' US of A, one Canadian (and a bloody talented one at that), and of course, that oddball electronica genius from Cornwall.

And for the honourable mentions, yes there were a few!
A Lonely Crowd - Transients
Actress - Ghettoville
Cloud Nothings - Here and Nowhere Else
Fucked Up - Glass Boys
Jack White - Lazaretto
Killer Be Killed - Killer Be Killed
King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard - Oddments
Mac Demarco - Salad Days
Mastodon - Once More 'Round the Sun
Mogwai - Rave Tapes
Morning Glory – War Psalms
Mushroom Giant – Painted Mantra
OFF! – Wasted Years
Opiuo - Meraki
Pink Floyd - The Endless River
Plastikman - EX
Real Estate – Atlas
Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2
Saskwatch – Nose Dive
sleepmakeswaves – Love of Cartography
Sunn O))) & Ulver - Terrestrials
Swans – To Be Kind
Sydonia – Reality Kicks
The Algorithm – Octopus4
The Beards - The Beard Album
The War on Drugs - Lost in the Dream
Tim McMillan - Wolves of Stunz
Tycho – Awake

And now for the short-form things that are known as EPs!
5. The Occupants - Hindsight
4. The Basics - The Lucky Country
3. Sirak - Heavy Flow
2. Maximum Wolf - Maximum Wolf
1. The Bennies - Heavy Disco