RJD's Best Albums of 2014

11. Wovenhand - "Refractory Obdurate" (4/29/14, Deathwish)

Sounds like: Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds, The The, Uncle Tupelo
Choice cuts: Good Shepherd, Field Of Hedon, Corsicana Clip



10. Shakey Graves - "And The War Came" (10/7/14, Dualtone)

Sounds like: William Elliott Whitmore, The Tallest Man On Earth, Johnny Cash
Choice cuts: If Not For You, Big Time Nashville Star, Dearly Departed



9. Sean Rowe - "Madman" (9/9/2014, Anti-)

Sounds like: Greg Brown, Tom Waits, Otis Redding
Choice cuts: Shine My Diamond Ring, Done Calling You, My Little Man



8. Sun Kil Moon - "Benji" (2/11/14, Caldo Verde)

Sounds like: Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Smog, Chad VanGaalen
Choice cuts: Dogs, Jim Wise, Pray For Newtown



7. Opeth - "Pale Communion" (8/28/14, Roadrunner)

Sounds like: King Crimson, ELP, Porcupine Tree
Choice cuts: Moon Above, Sun Below, River, Goblin



6. Giant Squid - "Minoans" (10/28/14, Translation Loss)

Sounds like: Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Baroness, Pallbearer
Choice cuts: Sixty Foot Waves, Mycenaens, Phaistos Disc



5. Horrendous - "Ecdysis" (10/28/14, Dark Descent)

Sounds like: Death, Carcass, Gorguts
Choice cuts: Monarch, Weeping Relic, Nepenthe



4. The Budos Band - "Burnt Offering" (10/21/14, Daptone)

Sounds like: Any Blaxploitation movie score, Fela Kuti, El Michels Affair
Choice cuts: Magus Mountain, Tomahawk, Into The Fog



3. Spoon - "They Want My Soul" (8/5/14, Loma Vista)

Sounds like: Spoon
Choice cuts: Let Me Be Mine, Rainy Taxi, They Want My Soul, Knock Knock Knock



2. Blues Pills - "Blues Pills" (7/25/14, Nuclear Blast)

Sounds like: Graveyard, Janis Joplin, Blood Ceremony
Choice cuts: Black Smoke, No Hope Left For Me, River, Ain't No Change



1. Ty Segall - "Manipulator" (8/26/14, Drag City)

Sounds like: The Kinks, The 13th Floor Elevators, The Who
Choice cuts: The Hand, Feel, The Singer, The Clock, Mister Main

Best of 2014 - ZH

This year was easy. So much good stuff. The hardest part was trimming it down to 10 and deciding the order. I only got to catch half of them in person, but since they all deliver amazing live sets I decided instead of album covers I'd show them doing what they do best.

10. Black Keys - Turn Blue

9. Jack White - Lararetto

8. Shakey Graves - And the War Came

7. Spoon - They Want My Soul

6. Cibo Matto - Hotel Valentine

5. St. Vincent - s/t

4. Parquet Courts - Sunbathing Animal

3. TV on the Radio - Seeds

2. Ty Segall - Manipulator

1. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Wig Out at Jagbags